Matt Carter, the EA’s Upper Thames Waterways Manager

River’s graveyard for boats

I dreamed of having my own boat for years before I could finally afford one. And, as my family will attest, after becoming a skipper, I have spent considerable amounts of time and money on pampering the succession of boats I’ve owned over the past 15 years or so.

Happiness is a boat jumble

This is supposed to be my last Riverwatch for a few weeks. I say ‘supposed to be’ because my wife and I are scheduled to be flying to Hawaii to celebrate my 60th birthday on Saturday. But as I sit at home writing these notes with a week to go before ‘The Big Holiday,’ the sky is a brilliant, clear blue without a vapour trail in sight and there isn’t an aircraft to be seen in the sky. It’s worryingly quiet.

Club with a reputation that’s second to none

There are rowing clubs up and down the length of the Thames and crews being put through their paces by enthusiastic coaches pedalling along the river bank are a familiar sight for anyone who regularly takes a stroll beside the water.