Ebb & Flow

The ‘special event’ marked on this ‘no parking’ sign, was the arrival of a Girl in a spacecraft that churned up the central area of Waterloo Place by The Mall. Not an ordinary girl but a giant space-travelling girl operated by the skilled technicians and puppeteers of the Nantes street theatre company, Royale de Luxe, created by Jean-Luc Courcoult. The Girl met the giant time-travelling Sultan’s Elephant, and together, though sometimes separately, they set about exploring and enchanting Londoners over four magical days in May 2006.

Just over twenty years ago, with little more than small articles in the Guardian and Evening Standard, central London streets, usually reserved for royal, sporting, or official occasions, were taken over by a different royalty: the Girl and the Sultan’s Elephant, stars of Royale de Luxe.

Morning routine
The next day, after a good night’s sleep, a shower, and a hair wash, their wanderings begin.

Each ready for their explorations the Girl and the Elephant set off from Horse Guards Parade.

While standing at the back of the crowd, N. and I, quite by chance, found ourselves next to, and able to talk with Helen Marriage, Artistic Director of Artichoke. I remember her telling us how, having seen the theatre Royale de Luxe in Nantes, she was inspired to bring The Sultan’s Elephant to London. Together with Nicky Webb, she managed to persuade, over seven years of secret planning, the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and a raft of concerned authorities, including the manager of St. James’s Park, to approve their final project, not forgetting the security services, this being only nine months after the July 7, London bombings. And the secret preparation for this spectacular show was kept under wraps almost to the very end.

For the spectators, apparently over a millions of us, The Sultan’s Elephant was a pivotal moment in London’s cultural memory touching everyone there with a gentle, unforgettable shared experience.

Sources and further information
If you would like more information, and to see many more pictures and videos taken by professionals and spectators alike, see:
‘The Sultan’s Elephant’, by artichoke.uk.com
‘The Sultan’s Elephant’ article by the Diamond Geezer, May 6, 2016.
BBC article on ‘The Sultan’s Elephant’, May, 2006.
Note
I took all these pictures with a basic Nikon Coolpix camera on May 6, 7 and 8, 2006.

A few of my favourite boats seen once, or several times, along the central London River Thames, snapped and trapped in time. Some of them have changed owners and liveries but most are still serving the river well.

AMADEUS was built in 1927, designed for taking her guests on luxury trips on the Dutch canals.

CPBS’s multicat BULLDOG.

The CONNAUGHT built in 1911, brings elegance and style to the River Thames.

Tug DEVOUT now based in Jersey.

Fire Rescue vessel ERRINGTON joined the London Fire Brigade’s Thames fleet on September 1st, 2022.

One of Thames Marine Service’s bunker barges, GOSSO, heading downstream.

Bunker barge HELENA, now in blue livery.

Built in 1981, sightseeing boat HOLLYWOOD is a popular way to see London’s riverside sights.

HURLEY BURLY, one of the two lifeboats stationed at Tower RNLI by Waterloo Bridge. RNLI lifeboats operate on the River Thames from their lifeboat stations at Chiswick, Gravesend, Teddington and Tower.

LEONIE is an elegant, converted Dutch barge, adding glamour to the river as she passes by.

I often see LITTLE V busy on Lambeth Reach carrying crew and attending to Thames Party Boats. I like this picture of her punching waves.

One of the Little Ships of Dunkirk that sailed from Ramsgate to assist in the evacuation of British and French troops trapped on the French coast by advancing Nazi troops in 1940.

POLLA ROSE, built in 1971, was one of the largest boats I saw along the central London Thames. Tony Robinson was taken on a trip with her a few years ago and was impressed by the navigational skills needed to guide her under the many bridges along this stretch of the river. With a new owner further downstream, POLLA ROSE is now painted in black with a white wheelhouse.

REBEL is used for services and maintenance of various boats along the river.

Cory tug REDOUBT, is one of Cory’s fleet of tugs towing barges of London’s waste downriver to their recycling and non-recyclable waste management centre at Belvedere.

Described as “a classic cruise boat of the mid 1920s”, Gentleman’s Motor Yacht, SIGRID OF CHELSEA was built in 1925.

SYMPHONY, where we celebrated a couple of anniversaries, is now operated by Woods Silver Fleet and renamed RIVERSCAPE.

Built in 1926 by Salter Brothers in Oxford, VISCOUNTESS, has now retired from her work on the river.

VITRUVIUS, built by Dutch barge builders, Piper Boats and launched in 2020.

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Metropolitan Police on the River.
As many of you will have heard through various sources, there was an accident at Westminster Bridge on Friday, July 24, 2026, when five police officers were hurt as their RIB struck one of the bridge piers at speed.

The officers are part of the Marine Policing Unit,  based at Wapping Police Station by the River Thames, which is responsible for policing 47 miles of the River Thames in London between Dartford and Hampton Court. They also respond, when needed, to incidents over 250 miles of waterways across the rest of London, such as lakes, reservoirs and canals.

As a frontline policing unit on permanent standby, MPU officers will face many of the same situations as their land-based colleagues, such as security, crime, and antisocial behaviour. 

Wishing those injured on July 24th, a good and speedy recovery.

Information from: Thames Police Marine Unit
Photos: Patricia Stoughton – August 2020 and January 2022

Further Information
My very old computer is unable to add links in my text at the moment, so if you would like to explore further, you can search the sites below:

The best source of information is Waterman and LightermanBen’s archive, news and vessel photo gallery:
https://liquidhighway.neocities.org

Cory Group: https://www.corygroup.co.uk

CPBS Marine Services:https://cpbsmarineservices.co.uk

Naiad Errant, one of the famous Dunkirk “Little Ships”: https://www.adls.org.uk/naiaderrant1939

RNLI Stations along the tidal Thames: https://rnli.org/about-us/our-history/timeline/2002-lifeboats-on-the-thames