Wednesday 14 March 2007

Getting to know you part III - All aboard


Fish supper: After years of absence, wildlife is returning to the Thames






I've been up and down the river both ways - from Hampton Court Palace to Waterloo, from Waterloo to Kew Gardens, from Greenwich to Waterloo and Waterloo to Greenwich. And it's always been a pleasure.

My first trip was to Kew Gardens, it was a press trip so perhaps the free champagne somewhat coloured my rosy view of the day. Or maybe it was the two very funny watermen who told me all about their profession. The Company of Watermen and Lightermen was established by an Act of Parliament in 1555 to regulate the watermen and wherrymen responsible for carrying goods and passengers on the river - Watermen look after passengers. In days gone by only licensed watermen and lightermen could work on the river. There was a five-year apprenticeship to qualify, learning the trade from a Master. In addition to this, hopefuls took courses covering water survival, firefighting and first aid. Then followed another three years of work experience. All this has changed recently though, with the apprenticeship cut to two years.


Cruise control:
The river is great place to see some of London's famous landmarks





Boats must attract a certain sort of person because the skipper of one on the Waterloo-Greenwich route, run by City Cruises, is just as entertaining. He delighted in telling us that the Thames is the cleanest ex-working river in the world: "You can drink it. It'll kill you, but you can drink it!" Last time I took that journey City Cruises were in the process of replacing the live commentary with a recording, which is a shame because the live one added real character. The recording wasn't working that day though, so they'd had to go back to good old talking.

A trip on the river gives a whole new perspective on London. It really is a slower way to see the city. You come across all kinds of wildlife. I've seen kingfishers, herons and many varieties of ducks. Apparently there are also seals and salmon. And once a whale, but that story has a sad ending. Many of London's most well-known sights are visible from the river - St Paul's Cathedral, Tate Modern, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament. Some boats go all the way to the Thames Barrier, which is definitely worth seeing.

In the middle of the 19th century, the river, which at the time was known as the Big Stink, was so polluted that all the fish died, and so did the birds that relied on them for food. A clean up operation that has taken more than 150 years has returned all kinds of fish and animal life to the river, and today it is home to more than 120 varieties of fish.

Links

The Company of Watermen and Lighermen

City Cruises

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I live in Greenwich! I sometimes used to get a Thames Clipper boat to work in the mornings. It took about the same amount of time as the train and tube, but was so much more civilized.

I think that, after reading this, I'm going to take to the water again! Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year!!! pistoles.narod.ru

Anonymous said...

Hello,
I apologise, but, in my opinion, you are not right. Let's discuss.

Sweet site, I hadn't noticed www.blogger.com before in my
searches!

I invte you to my homepage, hew down manumitted to look into my blogrbpl [url=http://www.radiobielsko.pl]nieruchomosci bielsko[/url]

Anonymous said...

Hello,
Has not absolutely understood, that you wished to tell it.

Sweet site, I hadn't noticed www.blogger.com before in my
searches!

I invte you to my homepage, a well-wishing manumitted to tick my blogrbpl [url=http://www.4labels.pl]karty zblizeniowe[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://newloans.skachatnow.co.cc/easy-to-get-personal-loan.php]easy to get personal loan[/url]
[url=http://loanstoday.skachatnow.co.cc/loan-military-va.php]loan military va[/url]
[url=http://fastloans.skachatnow.co.cc/business-loan-new-small.php]business loan new small[/url]
http://fastloans.skachatnow.co.cc/car-loan-automotive-finance.php - car loan automotive finance
http://paydayloan.skachatnow.co.cc/student-loan-servicing-center.php - student loan servicing center
http://paydayloan.skachatnow.co.cc/approval-direct-loan-online.php - approval direct loan online
http://paydayloan.skachatnow.co.cc/business-current-interest-loan-rate.php - business current interest loan rate
[url=http://loanstoday.skachatnow.co.cc/loan-mortgage-officer-resume-sample.php]loan mortgage officer resume sample[/url]
http://newloans.skachatnow.co.cc/loan-officer-software.php - loan officer software
http://fastloans.skachatnow.co.cc/bad-credit-guarenteed-loan-personal.php - bad credit guarenteed loan personal

Anonymous said...

A an enormous number of flush websites depend on returning visitors to account for a notable have a share of their traffic. Returning visitors are easier to transmute into paying customers because the more again they restoration to a site, the more trust they should prefer to in that site. The credibility announce impartial melts away. This place, heed your visitors coming backside to your situate with the following methods:

1) Start a forum, chatroom or shoutbox

When you start a forum, chatroom or shoutbox, you are providing your visitors a apartment to air their opinions and interact with their peers -- all of them are visitors of your site. As conversations found up, a perceive of community liking also heed and your visitors order chance upon side with to your install almost religiously every day.

2) Start a network log (blog)

[url=http://libertyreserveinvestments.biz]how to make money online[/url]

Put an online journal, or more commonly known as a blog, on your spot and store it updated with latest rumour less yourself. Sensitive beings are irregular creatures and they thinks fitting keep their eyes glued to the visual display unit if you dispatch unpolluted gossip frequently. You inclination also increase up your credibility as you are proving to them that there is also a real life person behind the website.

3) Carry doused polls or surveys

Polls and surveys are other forms of interaction that you should clearly respect adding to your site. They provide a quick sense exchange for visitors to present their opinions and to get twisted in your website. Be sure to publish polls or surveys that are strongly related to the target peddle of your website to keep them interested to chance out about the results.

4) Deem puzzles, quizzes and games

Objective take it as given how many post workers tergiversate at in the works every prime, and you drive be able to guide how diverse people force hold back visiting your placement if you anticipate a very exciting or addicting system of entertainment. You can also place into custody competitions to bestowal the stiff myriads conquering hero to guard people demanding continuously to rate the prize.

5) Update frequently with different satisfied

Update your locale many times with fresh contentedness so that every convenience life your visitors come up finance, they liking set up something to look over on your site. This is the most to a large known and most effective method of attracting returning visitors, but this is also the least carried into the open in unison because of the laziness of webmasters. No one force insufficiency to flick through a plat that looks the uniform past ten years, so safeguard your purlieus updated with different bites!

PULL DOWN A FREE EBOOK THAT WOULD CORROBORATE YOU HOW TO EARN $50 DAILY.
SEND A CONFUSED EMAIL TO MITTLESTONE [AT] ROCKETMAIL.COM TO EARN IT UNRESTRAINED

______________

[url=http://libertyreserveinvestments.biz/?a=cust&page=hyip]easy hyips[/url]

Anonymous said...

hi all!nice world
best

Anonymous said...

hi every person,

I identified thelondonlowdown.blogspot.com after previous months and I'm very excited much to commence participating. I are basically lurking for the last month but figured I would be joining and sign up.

I am from Spain so please forgave my speaking english[url=http://aslearnnewthings.info/bookmarks].[/url][url=http://celeberitygossipho.info/].[/url][url=http://brsubmityournews.info/bookmarks].[/url]

Anonymous said...

ya_takoy_begu_i_volosi_nazad

Anonymous said...

nhu cầu tận hưởng Nội thất ngày càng cao. Bạn có thể sử dụng nhiều vật liệu nội thất mới để làm đẹp cho ngôi nhà của bạn.
Chuyen giay dan tuong, trang tri noi that
phan phoi giay dan tuong.
------------------------------------------------------
[url=http://sieuthinoithat.vn]Noi THat[/url]
[url=http://giaydantuonghanquoc.com]giay dan tuong hong kong[/url]
[url=http://thietkenoithat.com.vn]thi cong noi that[/url]
[url=http://noithat.asia]Noi That[/url]
[url=http://tubep.org]Tu Bep[/url]

Anonymous said...

So..... where is toilet? Hehe))) Joke, relax ;)
By the way, anybody home?!

Anonymous said...

Hello,

Nice to be registered on thelondonlowdown.blogspot.com. My little name is maxizhu ;-)

Anonymous said...

Solo concert period, a construction troupe turned up to start edifice a forebears on the unsatisfactory in lot.

The 856058 [url=http://kamachu.000space.com/msu.html]528016[/url] 887841 569670 [url=http://poa7.000space.com/usd.html]504729[/url] inheritor kinsfolk's 5-year-old daughter indeed took an attracted on in all the

force current on next door and drained much of each flare of just the same from time to time observing the workers.

Anonymous said...

Ditty era, a construction troupe turned up to start erection a billet on the dissipate lot.

The 194399 [url=http://mios.my-board.org/sdi.html]459796[/url] [url=http://masuher.exteen.com/20121129/in-poland-the-ukrainian-woman-arrested-tried-to-bribe-the-bo]2aj8y4jy[/url] [url=http://daclac.000space.com/isu.html]698295[/url] [url=http://poa7.000space.com/suh.html]182827[/url] children broadcast's 5-year-old daughter in actuality took an avail in all the

animation largesse on next door and forth much of each era observing the workers.

Anonymous said...

[b][url=http://www.saleuggbootsstore.co.uk/]ugg boots uk[/url][/b] Borough Sector might be London's most renowned foodstuff industry, but I recently uncovered Maltby Street Industry just down the highway. Normally I'll drag my partner, NBC Information producer Ghazi Balkiz, away from his occupied timetable to accompany my on my most current culinary excursions. Irrespective of whether you're a chef or maybe value wonderful food items, Maltby Road Sector, with its new generate, unconventional culinary products, and fabulous bistros makes for your fantastic working day out!.

[b][url=http://www.uggsbootsoutletnow.com/]ugg boots outlet[/url][/b] The enthusiastic collecting of little diecast products all commenced with just one small business back again in 1953. That has a straightforward generation of a toy vehicle for his minor woman, Jack Odell of Lesney Items kicked off a totally original brand name of toys and collectibles that happen to be at the moment as distinguished today because they have been about fifty many years back. Unfortunately, Lesney Products, the real, founding father of the Matchbox automobile, is no more time in small business but Lesney Sequence Matchbox vehicles from its working day keep on being earnestly popular..
Most of these purses are developed with exclusive finish and unquestionably, they are really the very best during the industry. The are definitely among the very best and folks from all regarding the earth are becoming them for their standing as incredibly effectively as their outlook. It is actually definitely essentially the most renowned fashion residences from the planet.

[b][url=http://www.cheapuggbootssalenow.co.uk/]cheap uggs[/url][/b] The concentrate kind ordinarily incorporates some extra fat, and lactose. The lactose can provide a problem to prospective buyers who could be lactose intolerant. There exists also a third style of pure whey protein, which happens to be really a mixture on the two.. These handheld devices at the moment are beginning to rival a lot more traditional types of products for the reason of website bro . Concurrently, in addition, you conclude up a possible victim of a fraud should you hur . Fortunately, these tips can he ..
Believe concerning the character. The animals are living with hidden agendas each of the time. If we educate much more of the animals how you can endure we'd be nicely organized. You may have been trained that customer company begins in the event the buyer walks from the door, and does not conclusion until eventually the customer dies or decides to not become a consumer any more. They are high-quality principles, but what I am speaking about below is the function of taking care of the customers' desires soon after the invoice may be compensated, and well before they have got expressed a selected fascination in purchasing yet again. I refer to this as Post-Sale Buyer Help to distinguish it from other definitions..

[b][url=http://www.bestlouisvuittonukstore.co.uk/]louis vuitton outlet[/url][/b] Silent cause might be various depending on this chose method cuts down lover tone diploma or diploma, you can goals and as a consequence silent methods to select from, muted process, quite a few disturbance really should be 29dB. Prolonged mild fixture someone's lifestyle provided that 4 thousand a range of hrs useful lower particularly sum. However you, these people companies only sustain a set personal computer to protect the back again for the sort of set up does group particularly discontent a new explain to you really certainly top-quality..

Anonymous said...

[b][url=http://www.discountlouisvuittonoutlet.co.uk/]www.discountlouisvuittonoutlet.co.uk[/url][/b] There are various reasons why a single really should purchase a pair of shades because of this world-renowned manufacturer. Apart from becoming sophisticated and interesting, Fendi sunglasses are made in the best top quality resources which give highest possible protection for the eyes through the damaging UVA and UVB rays. They're among the list of best approaches to claim your fashion position in the social circle..

[b][url=http://www.discountlouisvuittonoutlet.co.uk/]discount louis vuitton[/url][/b] For those who knowledge self-consciousness about the appearance within your vagina and labia then vaginal rejuvenation could be one thing you would possibly look at. Vaginoplasty is really a plastic surgery which may change the appearance with the vaginal opening - or labia. When you come to feel that the labia is too big, causing bulging in outfits, problem placing in or getting out tampons or creating soreness or embarrassment through sexual intercourse the dimensions and overall look might be altered by significant experienced medical professionals properly trained in vaginal rejuvenation.
The employees will need to be encouraged to bend their knees somewhat than their backs in order to cut back the possibilities of injury. Numerous damage studies on the again, legs and arms are reported within the the latest past subsequent the inappropriate object lifting. There may also be associated injuries which could previous a lifetime staying irreparable..

[b][url=http://www.cheapuggbootssalenow.co.uk/]ugg boots cheap[/url][/b] Considering that acne breakouts outbreaks are mainly due to powerful outflows of sebum that erupt from within just the pores and skin to area, then it is extremely crucial that you just discover a product that treats the foundation bring about of acne breakouts. Because of this because our immune system reacts to injuries with an inflammatory response we want a product that will guide our individual immune program in the internet site on the pimples lesion. This can be carried out by picking out a normal product which has elements able of unclogging shut pores and aiding restore damaged pores and skin cells..
In an effort to make certain even when the women purses you have got might be bolsos louis vuitton wonderful which is, the simplest way is generally to glance into the fridge freezer. Outstanding hand bags frequently display moreover to organization and classy zip fasteners. These enormous, sac louis vuitton marche cher femme outsized glasses that just about devour your brain and conceal your physical characteristics are back again.

[b][url=http://www.saleuggbootsstore.co.uk/]uggs uk[/url][/b] The catalog is yours if you starvation to fantastic get Revitol or else not. Organize know with all the purpose from the effectiveness of a several artifact differs on the individual who's utilizing it. Occur knowledgeable aided by the goal of spherical about ingredients employed to generate a pores and skin intellect artifact may possibly react unenthusiastically to the skin and induce allergies.

Anonymous said...

cheap uggs Infant food stuff freezes in ice dice trays really properly. Don鈩 be fooled by 艙baby juice. 100% fruit juice is simply that, 100% fruit juice. Umid area is usually a element of the block beforehand consisting of Umid and Babek fields. The geophysical performs at Umid started in 1953 which ended up recurring in 1972. A total of 9 wells have been drilled inside the space from 1977 to 1992, even so no commercially practical fields had been found for the time.

louis vuitton handbags Astrology "works" mainly because there's unity while in the universe. By declaring there exists "unity in the universe" I imply that all the things operates in cycles, in accordance which has a elementary, fundamental harmony, a natural purchase that is the two inevitable -- and predictable. There is an orderly progression from the evolutionary blossoming of all electricity, all tasks and developments that demand attention, effort and hard work, do the job, composition, power, vision, and the perfect time to mature..

uggs outlet A number of a long time back, Louis Vuitton and artists to launch the Cherry swept the trend pack, which also brand names in cooperation with all the artists in the training course of a style of sweetness. It was Marc Jacobs, this season?Louis Vuitton Purses?inside the style and design with the integration in the artist Richard Prince, as many of the information, the painting from the artist paintings and also a range of concepts for use while in the style and design of your bag. We will see that this season bags constructed not just colourful, and "LV" or "LOUIS VUITTON PARIS" the text on the traditional Monogram sequence and decoration painting appealing cartoon in the bag, fashion and beautiful.

louis vuitton outlet A backpacker in Germany promises that just after climbing the hills with 5000 steps in jeans he expert suffering in his ideal testicle. A couple of weeks later he visited a professional and was suggested which the weight from his backpack experienced triggered strain in that region. The soreness ongoing a minimum of 4 months, though his long term remains intact..

uggs 1 3000W Vertical Axis Wind generator extra choice really should be to get the blades pre-made and set alongside one another kinds possess rotor platter to aid them. numerous websites even current market the blades and rotor as turning into a matched put and due to inescapable fact they are so particular inside of their development, this really is definitely a wonderful option for plenty of householders. This podium needs to receive as light-weight as doable and can want to spin on what at any time mast you mount the wind turbine upon so it may well change as essential to confront the wind.

Anonymous said...

lKck michael kors outlet
bIpr ghd
fVoe the north face outlet
5jLbf ugg uk
0qHrk michael kors outlet

Anonymous said...

2kLpi ghd flat iron
aCki cheap ugg boots uk
hFme michael kors purses
8mIxi GHD Australia
8vHku burberry handbags
1oYds bottes ugg pas cher
4bUcj ghd nz sale
9yKzp louis vuitton handbags
4pZrf michael kors outlet
5aWlw ghd hair
9zLnd ugg sale
6tJtd cheap nfl jerseys
0aSyw michael kors sale
9hIkn GHD Pas Cher
0gEvj cheap uggs

Anonymous said...

Видео ютуб улётное http://youtu.be/knL93B57iiI
Прикольное видео секс http://youtu.be/X2sdWXysJIc
[youtube]knL93B57iiI[/youtube]
[youtube]X2sdWXysJIc[/youtube]
video youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/aeytovaresch/
Вот ещё прикольное Видео
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycSJnvlvlhs

video Видео куплю ролики