Tatty boat

It has been some time since I posted a picture of a boat that was not sinking and while this boat is attractively tatty, almost to a state of dereliction, it is still floating.

Clearing a raft

The raft that arrived at the moorings by Teddington Lock late last year has been moved to the other side of the bridge where it is being cleared piece by piece.

Raft

There is clearly a story behind this raft moored by Teddington Lock which looks as though it was constructed on Scrapheap Challenge to do something like transport a horse across the river.

Dead boat

The still water this side of the weir reflects the upturned boat to make it look like a fantastical creature.

Brown submarine

Walking along Douglas Footpath between Deutsche Schule London and Petersham & Ham Sea Scouts takes you past this submarine which is only partially visible through the winter hedge.

It is named after Cornelis Drebbel the Dutch engineer who was the builder of the first operational submarine in 1620.

Royal Barge Gloriana

There was something of a crowd clustered around the Lock and on the Footbridge to watch the passing of Royal Barge Gloriana on Saturday 11 June, presumably to its home in St Katherine's Dock following some jubilee related activities upstream.

There had been talk of its permanent home being in Richmond or Kingston but it seems to be going to one of the many new riverside developments around the Greenwich Peninsular.

Sinking houseboat

I was avoiding taking a picture of this sinking houseboat by Teddington Lock on the assumption that it would soon be removed but it is still there and has become something of a feature.

Update: No sooner had I posted this and a team was working to refloat it.

Interesting boats by the lock

One of the many nice things about the river around Teddington Lock is that you can often see industrial boats there, that is boats with jobs to do other than carrying people for pleasure. Boats with functions and designed for those functions and so have interesting shapes and interesting things on board.

The are remains of a name on the side of this one that say something like "Marphy Engineers", with their old 01 telephone number, but wear, sun and water have made it barely readable.

Remembering David Bowie

As somebody who bought the album Aladdin Sane on the day it came out I heartily approve of this homage to David Bowie.

Unusual boat

It is not just the swan's neck that I like here, it is also the utilitarian construction of the cage and the unusual contents.

Rescuing a boat

Having recently posted a picture of a sunken boat next to Teddington Footbridge I was lucky enough to be walking over the bridge when several much larger boats arrived to perform a rescue operation.

Sunken boat

It gives me great pleasure to walk over Teddington Lock Footbridge twice a day on my way to and from work and I always cross slowly looking both ways to take in the view. On this day the view towards Kingston included a small boat that had lost its long battle against the water.

Stately boat

I know that the boats moored by Teddington Lock are not liked by some people but I make no apologies for loving them. I think that they bring character and life to the river, which they have done for centuries.

I particularly like this one because of its ruggedness, its colour and its stateliness. I also like the table and chairs on the deck which give it added charm.

Crossing the bridge to Ham

The prettiest way to enter Ham is via the footbridge at Teddington. The first section is low as only small boats pass underneath and so it is gentle rise up to the first of the two magnificent towers.

The weir usually provides a welcoming chorus of sound as the water tumbles down the steep drop but when the tide is high the incoming water just about climbs to the top and hides the fall. Then the machinery of the weir looks lost and out of place.

The moorings that run under the footbridge provide a little colour and a lot of interest.

The bridge's second span from the artificial island to Ham is high to let the pleasure cruisers pass beneath and the elevated view south-east towards Kingston is always worth pausing for.

Moving further along the bridge and looking south-east again reveals more of the curving river and the full sweep of the weir.

The Olympic Torch comes to Ham

The Olympic Torch passed through Ham twice. The familiar relay of runners came up the Richmond Road the Tuesday before the Opening Ceremony but the major event was on the opening day itself when the torch was carried on the Royal Barge Gloriana down the river to London.

There were good crowds out along the route on both banks particularly around Teddington Lock where the large flotilla had to pause a while while being lowered down to the next stretch of the river.

Resting boats

Following the towpath as it curls around Ham offers a variety of views on both sides and, not surprisingly, these include boats gently moored on the Middlesex bank. Despite being man-made they fail to break the tranquillity and they give us a few more colours to enjoy. Rivers and boats go naturally together.

Boats resting by the weir

Walking across the footbridge at Teddington presents you with this view of contrasts. In the foreground we have still boats moored quietly near to the Teddington shore and in the background the Thames argues violently with the weir that breaks its journey to the sea.

The weir also battles the tide as it tries to force its way upstream. Most of the time the weir wins and the tide is tamed but just occasionally the tide manages to creep over the top of the weir and make its way towards Kingston.

Launch Lock at Teddington

The Launch Lock at Teddington is much smaller than the main Barge Lock and so gets used the most at this time of year when just the occasional boat is passing along the river.

It's just a shame that it is off-limits to casual visitors like myself as I'd love to get a little closer and to take some photos looking back towards the trees of Ham rather than the flats of Teddington.

Approaching the lock

One of Neil Young's greatest songs, Powderfinger, opens with, "Look out, Mama, there's a white boat comin' up the river", which is what we have here. Neil Young goes on to describe a violent incident in the American Civil War but this boat is taking a peaceful route through Teddington Lock.

The Lock is a pretty destination for a walk most times but on a grey damp day it is less busy than usual and so there are no hideously bright cagoules to spoil the picture or boisterous children to shatter the peace.

Trailers

Today was The Great River Race, the annual trek up the river from Docklands to Ham which brings with it all the people and paraphernalia needed to support the event. As part of this the recreation ground by the Ham Street car park gives way to cars and boat trailers.