Attend the Mayor's Thames Festival

Starting today and ending tomorrow, the Mayor's Thames Festival always offers a fitting end to the summer season in London and, in what has - like it or not - been a rather good summer for London's mayor, it seems rather fitting that the annual huge party plastered with his title arrives in London on the final days of the Paralympics.


Boris has effortlessly managed to associate himself with almost everything good about London in 2012 whilst avoiding major incident, and London’s free end-of-summer festival is always a joyous celebration, so there is nothing to suggest that he will slip up here. Held since 1997, the festival is London’s largest outdoor arts festival, and all finished up with a big firework display. It can't really go wrong.

For more, see http://thamesfestival.org/

_{^Picture © fotologic used under a Creative Commons license^}

Attend Kingston Carnival

It's Kingston Carnival today, promising to bring the world to Kingston, with a procession, music and try the international foods from noon- 6pm.


It might not be an event as big as last weekend's, but often these smaller events are just as rewarding and with two stages - in the High Street and the Market Place - as well as Street Theatre, stalls and children’s areas it should be enough to while away an hour or so.

For more, see http://www.kingston.gov.uk/kingston_carnival_2012

_{^Picture © Darren Foreman used under a Creative Commons license^}

Find Temple Stairs Arch

The face of a man your author always thought was Old Father Thames but others state -probably correctly - is Neptune graces the front of Temple Stairs Arch on Victoria Embankment.


The monument was installed in 1868 as part of Joseph Bazalgette's design for the Embankment, though beneath it a memorial of 1935 sits, erected by the Port of London Authority to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V, when the particular stretch of the River Thames was renamed as the "King's Reach".

For more on the area, see http://www.london-footprints.co.uk/wkembankmentgrdnsroute.htm

Celebrate the reopening of HMS Belfast

Despite it actually reopening more than a week ago, this weekend sees a family weekender on HMS Belfast to mark its reopening after six months of refurbishment works after its walkway to the shore collapsed late last year.


We are told to expect simulated gun firings, Arctic assignments, family events, live music and a barbecue, on board a ship which is well worthy of a visit whenever it is open, and a welcome reopening for London.

For more, see http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast

Watch the Head of the River

London's other boatrace, Head of the River, is a bit more of a democratic affair, with over 400 crews participating, each made up of eight rowers. This makes for quite a spectacle, as around 3500 participants take part, having travelled from all over the UK, and around the world.


The race takes place between Mortlake and Putney, starting at 11am today, with various prizes on offer. Whilst it's usually fairly impossible to follow it as a formal racing spectator event, the sheer number of boats on the river makes for a festive atmosphere.

For more, see http://www.horr.co.uk/.

_{^Picture © Brett Jordan used under Creative Commons^}

Take a Meridian Duck Tour

To your author, there has something quite special about the yellow duck buses which stalk the streets of Waterloo, waiting to splash down into the Thames, and for those who also don't hate them there is good news, for they have come to Greenwich.


The amphibious craft, first developed for use during the Second World War, have been in London since July 2003, and are also popular in other cities around the world, and their latest London route takes tourists (and it will be tourists) on around Maritime Greenwich and onto the river for a tour which takes in views of the Millennium. At £15 a pop its shamelessly touristy, but at least it is trying.

For more, see http://www.meridianducks.com/

Have coffee in the Brunel Museum cafe

During a trip to the Brunel Museum this week, your author enjoyed fantastic hospitality and a welcome & warming cup of coffee in the recently refurbished cafe.


Alongside tea, coffee and home-made cakes, the café also serves as a gallery, hosting exhibitions by talented local artists and photographers, and is a welcome addition to a museum well worthy of visiting.

For more, see http://www.brunel-museum.org.uk/VisitUs/Cafe.aspx

Walk in Cremore Gardens

Once a large pleasure gardens, found beside the Thames at Chelsea and at its peak between 1845 to 1877, Cremore Gardens is now a mere fraction of its original size, but a small area of green survives beside Lots Road Power Station, and the original gates have been restored.


The original gardens cost a shilling to enter, and contained a range of amusements, including a dancing platform, live bands, weekly balloon ascents, restaurants and even firework displays.

Today, the gardens are free to enter and are maintained by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and are open from 7.30am until dusk daily. For more, see http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/leisureandlibraries/parksandgardens/yourlocalpark/cremornegardens.aspx

See the William Morris exhibition at Two Temple Place

London's newest art venue opened in October, and Two Temple Place beside the Thames near Blackfriars Bridge plans to host free exhibitions in its gallery space indefinitely. The current exhibition William Morris: Story, Memory, Myth lasts until late January.


We are told that the exhibition explores how William Morris told stories through pattern and poetry, and returned to the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Norse saga, Arthurian legend and Greek myth throughout his artistic career.

For more, see http://www.twotempleplace.org/exhibitions.html

_{^Picture © Duncan~ used under Creative Commons^}

Drink at the Blue Anchor

First mentioned in the Fulham Manorial Roll in 1722, and thought to be considerably older, the Blue Anchor is an attractive pub facing onto the Thames at Hammersmith.


The beautiful interior is fitted out with historic flourishes and rowing paraphernalia, and is particularly popular with rowers, positioned as it is on a stretch of the river about half way along the course of the University Boat Race, and countless other rowing races throughout the year.

There is a decent menu, and a range of ales and other drinks. For more information, see http://www.blueanchorlondon.com

_{^Picture © futureshape used under Creative Commons^}

Go canoeing with Kayaking London

Your author braved the drizzle yesterday afternoon to cash in a voucher bought from generic deals website in the spring, and take to the Thames in a canoe for the first time from a kayaking centre beside Cremorne Gardens in Chelsea.


After a quick bit of orientation, the group were issued with paddles and kit and set afloat for two hours on the river, and your author's closest encounter with the Thames since hitting a tree root and toppling in on a bike ride to Thames Head.

It is a really good experience, which every Londoner should try, and it was only a shame that the trip didn't stray very far, reaching only as far as Albert Bridge. Pictures of kayakers in front of Big Ben were enticing, but for a dreary Sunday afternoon a little messing about on Counters Creek, in the shadow of Lots Road power station, was more realistic.

For more information, see http://www.kayakinglondon.com/

_{^Picture © Metro Centric used under Creative Commons^}

Admire the view from Saunders Ness

Situated at the South Eastern tip of the Isle of Dogs, formed by the curve of the Thames, Saunders Ness is a spit of sand which dates from the early history of the area, and appears on maps dating from at least the Sixteenth Century.


Now commemorated in the name of Saunders Ness Road, the sandy foreshore is still visible beneath the modern wall, reminiscent of earlier times before the path of the River was not so fixed.

An information board tells of early inhabitants building banks of earth and rocks to stave off the movement of the Thames, which here was much less fixed when the Isle of Dogs was marshy pastureland, referred to as Stebunheath Marsh. Today, the river walls are much more sturdy, and offer excellent views across to Maritime Greenwich and industrial North Greenwich.

For more information, read the information board here.

See William Pye's Curlicue

Standing on the Southern bank of the Thames in Helsinki Square, near Greenland Dock, Curlicue is a tubular steel construction, designed by William Pye and put in place in 1989 by the London Docklands Development Corporation.


The piece was plas part of the Greenland Passage development, and is a modified and enlarged version of a previous Pye work from the 1970s. By 1989, we are told, Pye had largely moved into working with more natural materials such as water and stone.

For more on William Pye, see http://www.williampye.com/

Watch the sunset from the Tamesis Dock

Your author prides himself on keeping repeats to a bare minimum, but with all weather forecasters predicting one last day of the Indian summer, it seemed important to feature a place to wave goodbye to the summer this evening.


The sunset over Millbank last Thursday, viewed from the Tamesis Dock, between Lambeth and Vauxhall bridges, was stunning. Formerly known as The English Maid, the boat pub is a converted 1933 Dutch barge with a great sun deck on top, which on sunny days is often busy. From the deck, the sunset over Millbank tower is pretty smashing.

The last week has been lovely, but readers should fear not. Autumn and winter are excellent times to be in London, and there are some fantastic events to look forward to.

For more on the Tamesis Dock, see http://www.tamesisdock.co.uk/

Sit on Jake Worrall's bench

A thought-provoking memorial to an infant who lived a tragically short life and died on 23rd May 2008, before even his first birthday, Jake Winston Worrall's bench sits beside St Thomas' Hospital with an amazing view over the Thames.


On a hot late September afternoon, it is a fantastic spot to watch the world go by, as walkers and cyclist ply the traffic free route along the Thames, and some take a few moments to enjoy the last of the summer. There are plenty of other benches along the path, but none are more poignant.

For an approximate location, click here.

Attend the Thames Festival

As another summer begins to draw to a close, the annual Thames Festival offers one final opportunity to enjoy a party on the streets before having to head indoors for the winter hibernation.


Billing itself as London’s largest outdoor arts festival, the festival takes place over the distance between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge and a rich programme takes place today and tomorrow, culminating tomorrow night in a night carnival and firework finale.

For more, see http://www.thamesfestival.org/

_{^Picture © Jérémy Couture used under Creative Commons^}

Stroll along Anchor Iron Wharf

Just outside Maritime Greenwich, and now home to an odd housing development, the views North from Anchor Iron Wharf towards Canary Wharf and the Millennium Dome are fantastic.


A large anchor records how the history of the land which now forms the wharf, from King Edgar, who granted it to the abbey of St Peters, Ghent in 964, to Charles Robinson, who moved to the wharf in 1953, trading scrap iron, lead, metal and glass.

For more, see http://www.thegreenwichphantom.co.uk/2009/02/anchor-iron-wharf/

Relax by the river at The Weir, Walton on Thames

A picturesque pub right by the river, the Weir, in Walton on Thames, is within striking distance of the bubbling weir which gives it its name, and sits around three miles upstream from Hampton Court Palace, and then Central London beyond that.


Popular on weekends with walkers taking the Thames Path, it is at its busiest on the weekends, and also offers food and accommodation. Your author doesn't know if either are any good, but it's certainly a great spot for weary cyclists, taking a break for a swift half and a packet of crisps beside the river.

For more, see http://www.weirhotel.co.uk

Peer up at the Richmond Riverside Plane

It's the time of year when the London Plane tree is adorned with beautiful green leaves, but most of us are only preoccupied by the nasty bits which fall off and land in our eyes. If you, like your author, are able to still able to maintain an admiration for them you might be interested to see the Richmond Riverside Plane.


The tallest of its kind in the capital, according to a plaque placed at its base by the London Tree Forum, it is designated a Great Tree of London, whatever that means. It is even said to be one of the tallest planes in the country and, we are told, its situation in Richmond makes it close to two other Great Trees, the Asgill House Beech and the Maids of Honour Stone Pine. This is clearly a favourable spot for tree-growing.

For more information, and full directions, click here.

Pretend to be a sailor on HMS Belfast

Upon recovery from a rather debilitating hangover last Friday, your author was persuaded out of the house to finally tour HMS Belfast, the Second World War large light cruiser which is moored up a stones throw from Tower Bridge.


It was a good idea to go, because the ship is fascinating. Originally built in Belfast and launched in 1938, it remained key to the Royal Navy until 1963, famously protecting the Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union, but also taking part in Operation Overlord to support the Normandy landings, serving with the British Pacific Fleet, and taking part in combat action during the Korean War.

The HMS Belfast story is told through helpful guides, first hand accounts of those who served on it, and a chance to poke around the various cabins and engine rooms to try to understand what life was like aboard. We are told that it was a rather happy ship, where crew were more at ease with each other, and that it even had a special bridge to allow it to carry an Admiral, who could direct the entire fleet without getting in the way of the Captain.

The ship was saved from destruction and towed to London in 1971, where it opened as a museum on Trafalgar Day, 21 October. It was transferred to the Imperial War Museum in 1978, and they operate it to this day, currently charging visitors £13.50 to have a look round, which seems fair enough.

For more information, see http://hmsbelfast.iwm.org.uk/