Volunteers working with Thames21 during a river litter pick

Nothing if not ambitious

Last year in this column, I wrote that I thought the authorities should introduce a mandatory test and a licence of competence before anyone was allowed to take a boat out on the water – and several people jumped down my throat, berating me for proposing to introduce more bureaucracy into our leisure time.

Rainbow chasing

When Sam Dawson’s father, Ronald, died in 2003 at the age of 74 from a stroke it changed his son’s life completely. For years, the pair had been running the film lighting and equipment hire company – called Rainbow Lighting – that Ronald had founded in the 1960s, working long hours and travelling all over the country.

Out-of-season delights

I love this time of year on the river. It doesn’t really matter whether it’s a bright, crisp autumn day or a dull, misty morning, the Thames has its own very special moods.