The tidal Thames and its endlessly restless water…
Gazing down at the water is like watching a continuously moving work of art; tides, wind, weather, and the wash of passing boats all changing the texture of the surface and reflections into an infinite variety of shapes and patterns. An alternative focus and escape into another dimension. Here are some moments from the past year captured, frozen in time…
MOMENTS I
Chill Wind IChill Wind IIMigratory black-headed gulls alight on wind-ruffled waterLion drinking from a silky-smooth high tideSoftly, softly black-headed gull Blue silkClear water
REFLECTIONS
Reflections 1Reflections II Reflections IIIReflections IV
MOMENTS II
RainElasticity Troubled by a Thames Barrier closure
GLITTER PATHS
Glitter Path IGlitter Path IIGlitter Path IIIGlitter Paths IV
As I wrote last June, “There are those who, through their long experience of work on the Thames, understand its moods, complexities and dangers.” But for me, escaping for a while from the state of the world, I have looked down at the water from the safety of Victoria Tower Gardens, struck by the beauty and constant changing of its surface patterns, shapes and colours, etched by winds and painted by skies.
Street lighting on Central London’s Thames Bridges
There’s something magical about cities at night and London is no exception, particularly with the recently created Illuminated River art project lighting nine central London Thames bridges from below. However lighting of some kind for the roadways above has been in place for the safety of pedestrians and traffic almost since the bridges were first built, and a number of the more decorative designs between Tower and Putney Bridges are well worth a closer look.
Tower Bridge The bright light blue of the lamps leading up to the central section of the bridge are part of the existing blue and white colour scheme designed for the steel hangers, suspension chains balustrades, and the bascules of the bridge itself. But there is, if you’re on the look-out for it, one rather strangely shaped lamp, in fact a chimney connected to a coal fire once used in what was a guard room below. It fell out of use after the introduction of the Clean Air Act in 1956, which prohibited the emission of “dark smoke”, so banning the use of coal, apart from smokeless fuel, from any chimney on any building.
Lamps leading up to Tower BridgeThe chimney plainly visible from above or below when you’re looking for itThe chimney rising from below, manufactured by Durham Bros.
London Bridge
Standard modern, municipal lighting the roadway
Southwark Bridge
Southwark Bridge, with its decorative lanterns clearly visibleClose-up of a decorative street lamp on Southwark Bridge
The Millennium Bridge Nicknamed to begin with as the “Wobbly Bridge”, due to a design fault by architects Foster & Partners, now rectified, the walkway of this slender and elegant footbridge is lit from the side. Its incorporation into the Illuminated River Project saw artist Leo Villareal develop Foster’s orignal idea of a “blade of light” into pulses of light along the side of the bridge, echoing the movements of people crossing, creating silhouettes enhancing the structure like a moving picture with a constant stream of images.
Blackfriars Bridge
Blackfriars Bridge A closer look at one of the street lamps on Blackfriars Bridge
Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge with unremarkable modern street lighting
The Golden Jubilee Footbridges Lighting on the Golden Jubilee Footbridges, which run both sides of the Hungerford Railway Bridge, is now more intense as the already existing lights have been modified and incorporated into the Illuminated River art project.
Lighting structures on the Golden Jubilee footbridge, the upstream side of the Hungerford Railway Bridge
Westminster Bridge Visitors to London crossing the bridge naturally focus on the Palace of Westminster, the tall Elizabeth Tower and clock, known more widely as Big Ben, though that, as you might know, is actually the sonorous bell which has marked so many national events. But stop for a moment and consider the lanterns. Created in the Tudor-Gothic style by Sir Charles Barry, to match that of the Houses of Parliament, they are strikingly elegant, subtly changing colour along with the quality of daylight. Look closely and you’ll notice a tribute to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, a V&A in the centre as part of the design.
Westminster Bridge with its elegant Neo-Gothic lamps designed by Sir Charles Barry to match the newly rebuilt Palace of WestminsterOne of the Westminster Bridge lamps contrasting with the modern structure of the London EyeSunlight catching the tinted glass of a lantern on Westminster Bridge
Lambeth Bridge 1932 saw the opening of Lambeth Bridge by George V and Queen Mary, and the style of its street lighting reflects the Art Deco fashion of the day.
Lambeth Bridge just after sunset as its Illuminated River lighting begins to come into its own belowThe two types of lamps on Lambeth Bridge: double lamps on granite pillars placed above the piers, separated along the bridge by single lamps on steel latticework stands
Chelsea Bridge
Chelsea BridgeThe two pairs of light bearing pillars on Chelsea Bridge are decorated on each side, this one with a golden galleon and the old London County Council coat of arms, the wavy lines on the lower part of the shield represent the Thames
Albert Bridge The Victorian lamps light up the roadway at night, and the whole bridge is illuminated by thousands of LED bulbs, delighting all those who walk, drive, or sail past.
Albert Bridge linking Chelsea to BatterseaAlbert Bridge with its original toll booths and row of street lamps
Battersea Bridge In 1992, English Heritage approved the restoration of the bridge to its original appearance. Removed during WW2 the lamps had been replaced with replicas, and exterior lighting experts DW Windsor undertook the refurbishment of the lanterns and columns “which were broken and had been damaged from years of use.”
Battersea Bridge
Putney Bridge Taken by Wal Daly-Smith on his way under Putney Bridge, this photo shows a fleeting glimpse of two of the fine lamps that light the roadway above. These ornate, Victorian cast-iron lamp posts and lanterns have been carefully looked after by Wandsworth Borough Council and restored by specialists J.W. Lighting.
Of course there is attractive lighting on Thames Bridges further upstream such that as on Hammersmith, Kew, and Richmond Bridges but hopefully that will be for another time…
Unlike many patient photographers, huddled in huts at unsocial hours waiting for a rare visitor to frame in a perfect shot, my encounters with birds are mostly completely random. They’ve been mainly in and around Victoria Tower Gardens, where crows rule and seem to coexist with the gulls, pigeons, ducks and parakeets. I have, over time, as well as the birds photographed below, seen coal tits, blue tits, blackbirds, and the strewn evidence of hawk activity but as yet have been unable to film them in any detail. Here below are pictures of the birds that I have been able to observe in this much-loved, pocket-handkerchief, Thames-side park, so join me for a few moments of escape into the natural world.
Crows Noisy, busy and entertaining to watch, the crows feed on the lawn, from proffered or left picnic morsels, and on the Victoria Tower Gardens’ foreshore where they find an abundance of small shellfish and other creatures.
Crow collecting twigs for a nestPart of the crow courtship ritualCrow with tasty snackCrow looking quizzically, or impatiently
Cormorants There seems to have been an increase in the number of cormorants along Lambeth Reach in recent years. They often choose to rest on one of the Palace of Westminster markers floating on the river. I’ve seen them further upstream along non-tidal stretches of the Thames, such as at Pangbourne the other day, where their prodigious talent for fishing rivals that of local anglers, and so they are not always welcomed.
A Palace of Westminster marker, a favourite resting place for cormorants Cormorant stretching its wings out to dry
Geese Despite the fast flowing tidal currents along this stretch of the Thames, geese often make an appearance, sometimes with their goslings. Egyptian geese seem particularly fearless, finding food on the grass in the park and along the foreshore, or taking up positions on the embankment wall.
Egyptian goose perching on the Victoria Tower Gardens’ embankment wallA pair of greylag geese, their feet visible through the clear, momentarily undisturbed water along the foreshore A pair of Canada geese with three goslings finding food on the foreshore
Swans Much rarer here than geese are swans, occasionally passing by, either afloat or in flight.
A pair of swans heading downstreamA pair of swans flying upstream past Lambeth Palace
Ducks There are always a few ducks on this stretch of the Thames. The Mallards live around here permanently and can often be seen dozing on the Lambeth Bridge Piers, or on the embankment wall.
Resting but ever watchful: two Mallard ducks on a wall by Lambeth BridgeThis Tufted duck was a rare visitorAnd even rarer, a pair of Gadwell swam past one day: the drake on the left, the hen on the right
Gulls Notoriously difficult to tell some from others, I’ve come across three distinctive types of gull: the lesser black-backed gulls, herring gulls and black-headed gulls, the latter winter here, adding extra life to the park and its foreshore.
Lesser black-backed gull on the remains of a structure on the Victoria Tower Gardens’ foreshoreHerring gull with a shellfish of some sortA pitying, or pleading look from a friendly herring gull, nicknamed BonzoImmature gull holding a yew twigOne of our winter visitors: an elegant black-headed gull in flight, its winter plumage just a faint mark behind the eyesBlack-headed gull with its changing plumage almost complete, ready for the breeding season
And others… …including magpies, parakeets, wood pigeons, London pigeons, and robins.
A magpie perched as if part of the decor, on the Buxton Memorial in Victoria Tower GardensGreen, ring-necked parakeet looking out over the Thames from a nest in one of Victoria Tower Gardens’ plane treesFluffed up wood pigeon on the lush, green lawn of Victoria Tower Gardens A typical London pigeon, always ready to clean up picnic crusts and crumbs, unless the crows get there firstA robin in challenging mode, one of at least two with territories in Victoria Tower Gardens at the momentRobin perched at one of the entrances overseeing Victoria Tower Gardens. The emblem below its perch is the logo of the Royal Parks
Now the fate of Victoria Tower Gardens as a public park hangs in the balance as it is the subject of an Appeal against a decision to build over, and dig deep below, a large portion of the space, which apart from other downsides, risks damage to the mature plane trees and wildlife, especially birds. Let us hope the the Appeal succeeds…
Further information To see a greater variety of birds, you can go to London’s beautifully maintained haven of peace St. James’s Park just half a mile away. Familiar London Birds Explore The London Wildlife Trust The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: RSPB Photo Essay on Herring Gull Plumage Save Victoria Tower Gardens Appeal Thanks to garden designer Louise Venter for advice on robins. You can follow her on Twitter @Louise_Venter Thanks to Master Thatcher Chris Dodson Follow him on Twitter @c_dodson_thatch Thanks to Ian Young Follow him on Twitter @ianyoung33 Thanks to Kabir Kaul Follow him on Twitter @Kaulofthewilduk
…and mostly ignored by river users focussed on navigating safely through the arches, Vauxhall Bridge has eight large bronze statues, four on each side, allegorical figures representing, Science, Fine Arts, Education, Local Government, Agriculture, Architecture, Engineering and Pottery. Commissioned by the London County Council, they were installed in 1907.
The sculptures are mounted on plinths in alcoves set upon the bridge piers but being below the level of the parapet, they are invisible from the roadway. The best full views are from the river but the safest views are from the embankments, so as not to obstruct river traffic, though they are further away and more difficult to see. A good way to study them in detail is to use a pair of binoculars. Leaning over the parapet for an even closer look at the heads is possible but only with care.
The sculptors, Alfred Drury and Frederick Pomeroy, were part of what was known as the New Sculpture movement, which came into being during the late nineteenth century. The Victorian Web states that the movement “does not represent one singular style, but rather a range of approaches to make sculpture more dynamic and life-like.” Both Drury and Pomeroy were known for their architectural sculpture, and the approach to the statues on Vauxhall Bridge, though coming from their background of structural ornementation, resulted in the creation of symbolic, yet more natural-looking figures with thoughtful faces and a feeling of movement in their demeanour and flowing draperies.
Above is an interesting photograph of Vauxhall Bridge with its empty niches before the installation of the statues. And below is the scene on the bridge as the statue representing the Fine Arts, holding a sculptured figure and an artists’ palette, is raised into the air before being lowered over the parapet into position. About twice life-size, she is cast in bronze and weighs, as do all the statues, around two tons.
The upstream statues by Frederick W. Pomeroy, RA (1856 – 1924) Pomeroy was one of the leading sculptors in the New Sculpture movement, with works around Britain and in London, including the impressive figure of Lady Justice on the dome of the Old Bailey, erected in 1906. It was he who undertook the commission for the four statues on the upstream side of the bridge.
The statue of Agriculture holding a sheaf of corn and behind her head a scythe, as she looks out over the ThamesAgriculture – close upThe statue of Architecture viewed from the river, holding her model of St. Paul’s cathedralDifficult to see from afar, Architecture’s detailed model of St. Paul’s cathedralThe statue of Engineering with a mallet in her right hand, an anvil at her feet, and holding in her left hand “a model of a steam engine with a cylinder and flywheel” writes The Victorian WebEngineering holds a model of “a steam engine with a cylinder and flywheel”The statue of Pottery with her amphora, being a reminder of the Doulton pottery that existed for many years in Vauxhall
Follow a link to the history of the Royal Doulton Pottery here.
The pensive face of Pottery with her amphora
The downstream facing statues byAlfred Drury RA (1856 – 1944) Drury was, like Pomeroy, an architectural sculptor. He too was part of the New Sculpture movement creating several works in central London, and others all over Britain including the eight elegant bronze lampholders in Leeds Square, called the Morning and Evening Girls. He took on the commission for the four downstream facing statues.
Close up of the figure representing Science holding an orbClose up of Science with a thoughtful expression and downcast eyesStatue representing the Fine Arts holding her artist’s palette in her left hand and a sculptured figure in her right hand Fine Art, holding a miniature sculptureFigure representing Education carrying one child and with an arm around another Education holding a childA rather authoritarian statue representing Local GovernmentLocal Government holding her weighty tome
Here below are a few images of boats that pass regularly beneath Vauxhall Bridge, where skippers will be more concerned with navigation than observing the finer details of the sculptures. If you take any of the boat trips upstream be on the lookout with cameras and binoculars at the ready as you approach and pass beneath Vauxhall Bridge.
Survey boat approaching Vauxhall BridgeCory tug REDOUBT about to pass under Vauxhall BridgeSTAR clipper, in her previous livery, passing under Vauxhall Bridge
Vauxhall Bridge was in line to be the next London bridge lit up as part of the wonderful Illuminated River public art installation already stretching across nine central London bridges. However plans to proceed with the work have been put on hold for the moment due to funding problems but Leo Villareal’s artwork is already completed and ready to go when possible.
In an article quoted by The Victorian Web, architect Sir Reginald Blomfield wrote in 1921 that it was important for a bridge to be “a symbol of the life and civilization of the people who use that bridge”. Though this could not be said of all bridges by any means, Vauxhall Bridge’s statues do remain a symbol of pride in the achievements of the age when it was built.
A dizzyingly high run up the 1,120 steps of London’s tallest tower to raise funds for a new Thames Lifeboat Station in the heart of the City.
Not for the fainthearted, this. The RNLI Tower Run on Saturday, February 19th, will involve climbing 1,120 steps to the top of 22 Bishopsgate, on the 56th floor. It’s in aid of a new Tower Lifeboat Station, London’s busiest Thames lifeboat station, which many of you will have seen by Waterloo Bridge. And support is needed if you’re ready for the challenge.
As a precaution, considering the physical effort that will be involved, “runners will start in staggered groups of up to 30 runners every half hour.” There will also be first aid points every five floors with teams from the St. John Ambulance in case any help is needed.
On reaching the top, there will be a Reception and you will have the best views of London other than from an aircraft. You will also be given a souvenir t-shirt and a medal, which will surely become a symbol of pride and a collectors’ item.
A new station is urgently needed as the present one, now beyond repair, has come to the end of its useful life. See here. It served well both as a pier and as a Thames Division Police Station for over a hundred years, before being taken over by the RNLI in 2004, refurbished and occupied by Tower Lifeboat crews in 2006.
Further Information See details of the Run on the link here. Read my article about the Tower Lifeboat Station Appeal here. Discover Tower Lifeboat Station here. Meet Chris Walker, one of the Helms at Tower Lifeboat Station here. Follow Tower Lifeboat on Twitter @TowerRNLI If you see anyone in difficulty along the Thames, call 999 ask for the Coastguard.
