RIVER RACE
 Cruising
Down The River
Increasingly a visible part of our annual sporting calendar, the annual “Great
River Race” sets of from Richmond to end up at Island Gardens, Greenwich.
In much the same way that the London Marathon has developed into a colourful
mixture of fun and serious competitors, so has the Great River Race developed
into a big event attracting both serious and leisure rowers, not to mention
those who prefer “armchair” participation, picking a nice vantage
point beside the water just to watch it all sail by.
And of course, if you taken in some of the previous races, you’ll know
why so many people pack some sandwiches and make an outing of it. You might
literally see anything form a Viking Longboat to a Hawaiian outrigger canoe
glide past during this annual free event.
The “Great River Race”
site website contains a lot more information about the race, its history and
its links to a long London tradition of racing on the river. Be sure to check
out this
page of their site which gives details of the route and the approximate
times that the race will pass by various staging points.
September is obviously the month for festivals on the river. If you enjoy the
waterlogged fun of the Great River Race, perhaps you’ll also be interested
in the Mayor of London’s Thames Festival that takes place the following
weekend around the South Bank. The
official site has full details. In addition to floating pageantry and a
fireworks display, the festival will be filled with outdoor art and performances,
everything from the Jocelyn Pook ensemble performing on a floating stage through
to party events at the Ballroom stage near the OXO Tower. Why not check it out.
Taking Up the Challenge
Of course, probably the most famous boat race on the Thames is the annual Oxford
vs. Cambridge Boat Race. This
site gives lots of information and historical background information on that
famous race. But, you don’t necessarily have to be in the privileged world
of Oxbridge to enjoy river sports.
London has a great number of rowing, sailing and other water sports clubs,
many of them in west London. This
page has an extensive list of individual clubs and associations for you
to contact if you think that you might like to participate. Remember, rowing
and river sports are an excellent way to keep fit and healthy and can also be
a good way to meet new people and make friends.
If all this talk about taking to the water has you thinking that maybe you
would like to find some kind of local course or learning opportunity to help
you sail away, why not have a look at this one.
In Hammersmith
& Fulham
If this has got you thinking that maybe you have neglected your local neighbour,
The Thames, then it might be worth taking a look at the Environment Agency’s
website dedicated to the river. Www.visitthethames.co.uk is full of fascinating
information about the river. Most Londoners probably haven’t even thought
about where the river has been before it rolls into town. The site is a pretty
good place to get some idea…
As the river roles into London from the West, it passes numerous palaces, gardens
and grand houses that were built to take advantage of the river location. But,
it also passes some intriguing buildings of a more industrial nature that were
built as part of the industry of the river. Kew
Bridge Steam Museum is located in an impressive 19th century pumping house.
Every weekend the stations famous Cornish Beam Engines can be seen in full steam
and the museum also hosts a regular programme of special events, so be sure
to check the site for these.
Life on The Ocean Wave
We in London sometimes forget that after the river has passed through our city,
it wanders on towards the open sea. This fact, that the river is actually navigable,
is one of the reasons for London’s long history as an international port.
Docklands aren’t called Docklands for nothing.
This section on the port of London at the excellent Portcities
website is packed with interesting historical facts, images, games and videos
that give an insight into London’s history as a port. Pirates, disease,
death & disaster of the Thames, it’s all in there. Learning online
at its best…
It’s been a while since the river was packed to capacity with working
vessels from all over the world, partly due to the development of containerisation
and ports better suited to this modern method of shipping, such as Tilbury and
Southampton. However, shipping not only has a long and great tradition, it is
still an essential industry and we tend to forget that more than 80% of the
world’s cargo is still transported by ship.
Perhaps it’s because we no longer have such a direct link to the sea,
everyday connections with the life of a working port, that we have forgotten
this. And maybe we have also forgotten that, for many generations, careers at
sea offered an exciting opportunity to combine work with the opportunity for
travel to distant shores.
These days many of us who think that we would like a job that enables us to
travel are more likely to think first of careers in the airline or tourism industry,
simply because they are more visible. But for those of us who are more technically
minded or want to travel as part of our jobs without the hustle bustle of flying
or the stresses of keeping lots of tourists happy, perhaps a career at sea is
worth considering. The careers section of the site of the
Marine Society is an excellent place to get some idea of what kind of careers
are available in shipping and the training programmes for those who would like
to become professional seafarers.
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