In the heart of Westminster, Victoria Tower Gardens, a precious London park, seen from Lambeth Bridge.
In 2022 Mrs Justice Thornton ruled that the London County Council (Improvements)Act 1900, protected Victoria Tower Gardens as a public garden in perpetuity. The Government is now overturning the Act to construct an oversized, much aesthetically criticised Holocaust Memorial, which will damage the park and set a dangerous precedent.
To learn more about this special London park and its history, here is my article of September 2021. Victoria Tower Gardens
A precious central London park by the Thames, enjoyed by all.
Since my 2021 article, apart from its normal recreational use, Victoria Tower Gardens has been used as a queueing place for those who paid homage to our late Queen, and for a marquee during Charles III’s coronation. Reading the above piece you can see what an important part Victoria Tower Gardens has played in both our local and national life. It would be a serious loss to our Thames-side heritage were it to be developed.
********************* If you would like to search earlier articles on my Tidal Thames site, clic here, scroll to the bottom of the page and type anything you’re looking for in the search box. It works reasonably well.
The 46th annual Thames Historic Barge Driving Race has been cancelled this year due to safety concerns. For those unfamiliar with this Thames tradition – a seven mile barge race under oars from Greenwich to Westminster – these photos, taken from the finish at Westminster Bridge in 2019, will give a flavour of this festive trial of strength along the river. It all began in 1975 with Watermen and Lightermen Jack Faram, John McSweeny, Ron Livett and others, as part of a wider initiative to “promote the river as a transport mode”, to cut polluting lorry journeys through the centre of town and to increase the profile and commercial potential of the river. Jack Faram tells me that the idea behind the race, “was to give apprentices experience in handling their barges on the fast-moving tidal currents of the Thames. Collecting pennants during the race was a natural extension of their work, which often involved jumping across barges.” He adds that “barges were much bigger and heavier at the time.”
Jack’s words are echoed by Waterman and Lighterman Eric Carpenter who says he was “in the crew of a heavy barge, rowing in 1980 and 1981”, and he has the medals to prove it. He confesses that “We had no chance of winning as there were much smaller and lighter barges but we went for collecting the pennants from different buoys, and to compete for the fancy dress prize. We were Beefeaters in 1980 and Wizards in 1981.”
The Contestants approaching the finish at Westminster Bridge The barges have no other power than that of the oarsmen themselves, who must know how to harness the force of the river and to steer using the strong tidal currents to their advantage. The Thames Barge Driving Trust * runs a number of events during the year to “commemorate the skills of lightermen who moved freight this way along the Thames.” Jack Faram remembers that, “Apprenticed in 1951, by 1952 I was rowing barges in the middle of the night lit only by an oil lamp.That was our job.”
GPS Marine barge Shell Bay, followed by barges Benjamin, and Navy GPS Marine team rowing barge Shell Bay with all their mightCity Cruises and Thames Jet team rowing Balfour towards Westminster BridgeThames Marine Services with barge NavyThames Marine Services’ barge Navy close to Westminster Bridge London Party Boats team rowing barge BenjaminApprentice Lightermen rowing towards the finish at Westminster BridgeLast effort for the Apprentice Lightermen as they approach the FinishTrinity Buoy Wharf team with barge Diana
Tugs, families and supporters
GPS tugs INDIA and IBERIA with an accompanying launch and M.V. VALULLA PLA tug IMPULSE and Harbour Patrol vessel BARNESCrews, barges, supporters and tugs on Lambeth Reach after the raceTugs INDIA and IBERIA, with M.V. VALULLA between them, about to tow barges homeM.V. VISCOUNT with supportersM.V. VALULLA, GPS tug IBERIA, M.V. MERCIA and Rib EURO II in the distanceCity Cruises’ M.V. ELEANORBen of Liquid Highway driving EURO IIApprentice Watermen relaxingTug PLASHY ready to towDANCHAGPS tug IBERIA homeward bound with the Trinity Buoy Wharf barge
Eric Carpenter says: “The implementation of the Barge race was hugely popular amongst us Watermen and the fight for a place in a crew was fierce!”
Eric’s medals for having taken part in the 1980 and 1981 races. They are part of the Thames cultural heritage.
Let’s hope that the problems which cropped up this year will be resolved and the hugely popular race, so important to the culture and heritage of the Thames, will be back on next year’s calendar.
With thanks to: Eric Carpenter See articles where Eric talks of his work on the Thames: https://thetidalthames.com/2020/05/24/meet-eric-carpenter-1/ https://thetidalthames.com/2020/05/31/eric-carpenter-2-the-cory-years/
Jack (Len) Faham Who kindly talked to me about his involvement in setting up the Thames Historic Barge Driving Race, and his work on the river.
Ben of Liquid Highway A Thames Waterman and Lighterman, always there to help with info. He runs the worlds largest Thames vessel photo gallery The Liquid Highway. You can follow him on Twitter @liquid_highway1
* The Thames Barge Driving Trust was originally called The Transport on Water Association and came into being during the 1970’s energy crisis when not only were alternatives being sought to reduce dependency on oil but also to keep the lighterage industry alive after the opening of Tilbury docks, and the subsequent loss of trade further upstream.
For more pictures of the Thames Historic Barge Driving Race 2019, see Gallery
