.JPG)
This shot looks across from the Twickenham bank towards the boathouses on the Richmond side. These boathouses host the canoeists you saw last week, launching their boats .
On this day the brilliant sun was creating a lovely blue on the river and the autumn colours really stood out. Now the weather is changing and we may soon lose the colour as November advances.
I may be wrong, but memory tells me that this highly respected gentleman has been here for 17 years - or almost, if not more! The raft has evolved over that period. The Port of London Authority tried to sling him off, but local residents campaigned to keep him, so here he stays. He tends the birds, building nesting areas, and is generally regarded as a very good neighbour - the kind of chap you like to have around.
The equipment is quite sophisticated. Originally he had a wind mill to generate electricity but last year I noticed that he has cut out the wind turbine and moved to nuclear power! Look closely and you will see the photovoltaic panel on the far side of the roof.
In the early days it was fun to watch the raft "morphing" into new shapes, and seeing experiments in protective cladding systems being tried and rejected. Today the form seems to be more or less fixed and final. This is human resourcefulness at it's peak. In my opinion it's a noteworthy sight for genuine tourists .
This is the last foot ferry in existence across the Thames, at Ham. For hundreds of years these crossings were essential, because bridges were too expensive and difficult to build. This ferry site was the monopoly business of the Earl of Dysart for hundreds of years until Mr. Hammerton set up a rival ferry on this crossing, about 200 metres away from where the Earl's boat was operating. The Earl tried to stop him, but Parliament, for some reason, supported Hammerton, and now his successors still operate the last remaining foot ferry service on the Thames. You can see that it is still a valued service, even in the age of the car and bus.
 |
| Search by city: |
