Thursday, December 19, 2024

An Uber boat ride along the Thames

There were all sorts of things we wanted to do while we were in London
One of them was to take a boat trip down the Thames  to see all the changes that have happened in the last 20 years
We took a brief trip that morning with our hostess to Aldi to do some food shopping
and to get some of their really good Pain au Chocolat 

A treat for breakfast the next day and one of our favourite ways to start the day

While Lynne was getting the treats, John was examining the wines and was impressed at the prices
of some interesting South African wines, which he suspects were produced by KWV

A beautiful fuchsia across the road from Angela's house

And time to examine the property prices in the area in which we were staying. Eyewatering prices for Saffers

Then off to catch the tube to Putney Bridge, just a few stops up the line

The Thames at Putney Bridge with the tide coming up river

Swans grooming in a pond just off the riverside

Autumn advancing

and a view down river towards the city, sadly on a very grey day

and up river to the dockside where we caught the Uber River Boat by Thames Clippers
It stops at 24 piers along the Thames between Putney Pier in the West and Barking Riverside Pier in the East
Services run from early in the morning until late at night 7 days a week
People use it to get to work and it is very popular with tourists like us
A really enjoyable way to see some of London from the River

A queue had already started to form

A handsome river boat at the same mooring

with signatures of Autumn on the river bank



The Uber arrived and we were on our way





The river is quite busy

We met a lovely family at the boarding point and they told us all about the trip,
they take the grandchildren, often, to see different sights
The boat goes from one side of the river to the other and stops at points where you can get off to explore London
We were taking just a one way trip as far as Canary Wharf
An all day hop on and hop off costs £22.10
We just stayed on till Canary Wharf and enjoyed the ride
We could pay on our Oyster Cards, the London transport card used on buses and tubes
and our trip cost us about £6 each

Boats towing heavy loads on barges
This one appeared to be skips of rubble and rubbish

Coming into a mooring near Chelsea

Many houseboats at the river's edge, reminiscent of the Chelsea Detective TV Series

Even a Dutch Botter

Two different modes of accommodation, luxury flats with riverside views, and river houseboats


Albert Bridge

Some river front history is surviving, while much has been replaced by those luxury glassy apartment blocks and offices

The embankment is a favourite walk for Londoners

Battersea Bridge with some of the new London skyscrapers in the distance and some of the monstrous tower blocks
You can just see the towers of Battersea power station in the distance behind the new glass towers

Another houseboat.  It always looks as though it might be rather damp and foggy living on the river
and, certainly, there is lots of movement with the tides and passing boat wakes


Chelsea Bridge

This tall chimney is a relic from the past, its a part of Bazalgette’s Western Pumping Station for Sewage, Chelsea
Bazalgette started building the London sewer system in the 1860's
London is now completing a new, very deep system and you see evidence all along the Thames

Battersea Power Station is now open to the public as one of London's most exciting and innovative new destinations
The very building which once produced the energy that enabled people to eat, drink, shop and play in the City,
now provides the venue for a new generation to do the same

More glass covered skyscrapers on the South bank of the river



Older and extraordinary new builds in contrast

Towering glass buildings which seem to have gone up overnight

The London Eye and Chelsea Bridge

Vauxhall Bridge

History at last, the British Houses of Parliament

and, newly restored in the last few years, Big Ben's tower in golden splendour
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower itself

The Royal Air Force monument on Whitehall Stairs, Victoria Embankment

Westminster Bridge and Parliament 

The London Eye aka the Millennium Wheel on the South Bank, with County Hall behind it

Cleopatra's Needle is one of a pair of obelisks, together named Cleopatra's Needles,
that were moved from the ruins of the Caesareum of Alexandria, in Egypt, in the 19th century
Inscribed by Thutmose III and later Rameses II of the Egyptian New Kingdom,
the obelisk was moved in 12 BC to Alexandria, where it remained for over 1800 years

HMS Wellington, a museum, library and events venue in a WWII merchant navy sloop, moored on the Thames since 1948

A bulging building, No 1 Blackfriars (aka by Londoners as The Vase!)
stands next to the South Bank Tower, with the Shard just appearing in the distance

The Oxo Tower 

and somewhere we wish we'd had time to visit, the new Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
It is next to the Tate Modern and the Millennial Bridge

Some now well known buildings in the one square mile of the City of London given nicknames!
The Gherkin, the Walky Talky and the Cheese Grater 

Probably the most famous London bridge, the suspension Tower Bridge appears as the river starts to widen out
We were saddened to see how many people got off at London Bridge thinking they were here
Hopefully, they got back on the boat...

The Shard and HMS Belfast, a Town-class light cruiser that was built for the Royal Navy in World War II

She is now permanently moored as a museum ship on the Thames and is operated by the Imperial War Museum
Lynne has been on the ship several times in the past as she was used for media functions
John took his daughter, Clare to see her when she was 9 years old

City Hall is a building in Southwark, London, which previously served as the headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA) between July 2002 and December 2021

The historic Tower of London

Looking back at the historic contrasts

and, shortly after, we arrived at Canary Wharf and could look back at what we had seen

We decided to walk to Canary Wharf, thinking it was going to be an easy walk
You are given directions and they say, "Its just 5 minutes away". They lied!
It was a very long walk, first up steps and past riverfront buildings and squares, then through this lovely park

Reach for the Sky

The familiar Canary Wharf buidling which Lynne used to approach by rail; we are coming  closer
"Just follow the path till you get to the underpass" they said. What Bl...dy underpass?
We were now rather hungry, getting tired and seeking some lunch. Could we find one in this building ahead
Well yes, eventually, up and down stairs and escalators and through several buildings

Under the dome we spotted some food outlets and, sadly, they are all fast food

So we chose one that was familiar and one we use at home in emergencies
It was self service and we couldn't make head or tail of the ordering process
until we asked a nice young man and he did the order for us
and guess what, he was South African. Yay, burgers on the way

Looking tired and a bit pissed off; Lynne's watch said we walked 5 miles that day
A long distance if you have a hip that needs replacing

E-lunchie. Not as good as we get at home and tiny bags of chips

Now to find the tube station to get back to Wimbledon.  Another long walk
but it was a very enjoyable day seeing the old familiar and the brand spanking new side of dear London

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Posted by MENU at 6:32 pm

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