An occasional look at the ebb and flow of the Thames
My readers never cease to amaze me with their enthusiastic responses to this column. Last week, I wrote about the diversity of wildlife on our stretch of the Thames and ever since the paper came out, I’ve been bombarded with people telling me their stories about their encounters with wildlife.
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Authors have written books about rivers for hundreds of years – and that’s simply because waterways are fascinating subjects, having played a major role in the development of our towns and cities, agriculture, industry, trade and, in more recent decades, leisure and relaxation.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee later this year, celebrating Her Majesty’s 60 years on the throne, will present all kinds of opportunities for celebration and fun – and the River Thames will play a central role in the event.
Some youngsters just exhibit a natural talent for sailing when they get out on the water – but for Isobel Mitchell, it might have come as a bit of a surprise because what she actually wanted to do was to windsurf.
There are many islands on the River Thames, some containing luxurious waterside homes, some mere mounds of mud and sand that have the odd tree clinging precariously to life on their edges and some providing bases for water-related industries like boat-building.
Christmas is great – it’s lovely to spend time with family and friends and just relax for a day or two – but for me, the New Year is always a very special time.
Mort looks back over the last 12 months
As regular readers of this column will doubtless have gathered by now, I’m a keen student of the history of the Thames in these parts and I love reading accounts of life on the river from days gone by.