The house called The Sphinx on Pharaoh’s Island as seen from the towpath

Skating on thick ice

Amateur meteorologist Harry Kershaw from Manchester reckons this winter could be the coldest for 270 years and he says the Thames may freeze over. Judging from the weather over the last couple of weeks, he may not be too far out.

Boat’s a real Terra to clean

Ageing cabin cruisers are a little bit like elderly actresses – they can still do the job for which they were originally designed but they need a good deal of make-up before they can take the stage with confidence.

It’s plain sailing in Staines

Fancy doing something a little different this weekend? If so, why not get yourself down to Staines Sailing Club to take advantage of their free ‘Go Boating’ day on Saturday, June 7 between 11am and 5pm.