The steamer calling in at Hammerton's Ferry - # 48/10

RuT goes back to its roots with this simple shot of the regular steamer from Kew to Hampton Court via Richmond and Kingston calling in at Hammerton's Ferry opposite Ham House.  Passengers can take the ancient ferry across the water to visit the great 17th Century house at Ham, or the more modest, Marble Hill House on the Twickenham side. 

Walk gently into that sweet light - # 09/21

You've seen similar perspectives from this view point, but in this one the light is different.

For many days, even weeks and weeks on end we've had no dawn and no sunset; just endless cloud. Now, as we move towards the Spring we can see a small change. The quality of light is definitely changing, and we've even had the occasional dawn and sunset (but not many!).

This clean steely-grey sundown endows the water with its magic quality and the river reflects it back, with gratitude.

The river tow path is wet with the remains of rain, snow and flooding as water rushes down from higher up river.

River scene, evening, calm - # 08/40

Sunset looking from Ham towards Twickenham - # 08/20

Perhaps not my "finest photo", but too good to miss posting today. It celebrates the wonderful sunsets we are enjoying at the moment, and also how lucky we are here to have these river views. The lighting is all natural. The reflections in the water are from the sun bouncing off the white hulls of the boats moored at Hammerton's Ferry. The sky is pretty much "as seen". You can make out the con-trails of the intercontinental jets racing in from North America, finding their turning point near Heathrow and streaking off towards the mainland of Europe. (In this area you can sometimes see probably 20-30 planes all at different heights: if each has 300 on board that is 6,000 people in the sky!!!!). On the tow path, the puddles reflect water left behind after the recent high tide that has overtopped the bank, making the path impassable for an hour or two.

Magic!

Camera: Olympus E3 (setting- I think - WB "Cloudy" with one tick into the Amber. "Good Old Oly!")

Mud larking- # 283

At the end of October we get the last of the very high, so called "Spring" tides. The next very high Spring tide will come in 6 months' time - in Spring. This October high tide carries boats up to the highest possible resting point, and leaves them on the mud until April when they can be floated off again.

This natural phenomenon allows sailors to maintain their boats high and dry on the mud and then float them back easily when the sailing season comes again.

The river authority can also open the control gates at the time of the very lowest tides and allow the level of the water to sink to the minimum and carry out maintenance to the banks. This is the time when all the old bicycles and super-market shopping trolleys - and the occasional dumped fire arm - appear, and can be collected.

This photo shows the boats moored at Hammerton's Ferry, and attempts (with only limited success) to catch the glamour of the bright October sun shining on the wet mud as the tide goes down.

Ferry for April of Cologne - # 191

This posting is for April in Cologne http://koelnjournal.blogspot.com/ who on 29 July showed a similar popular foot ferry crossing the great and magnificent River Rhine. Here you can see the ever popular Hammerton's Ferry with it's excellent ferryman crossing the tinier but no less magnificent Thames at Ham, near Richmond. You may like to refer back to my earlier posting
http://richmonduponthamesdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2007/02/500-yr-long-queue-5.html