Out on the Thames, just opposite our favourite bench on the Victoria Tower Gardens’ embankment, floats a yellow, Palace of Westminster boundary marker. Rocking and swaying with the movements of the tides it has become a convenient stopping place, perch, or sunspot for a number of birds and, to the delight of those who have been lucky enough to see them, a pair of seals.
Cormorant arrives
Since the return of of life to the Thames after its famously having been declared “biologically dead” by the Natural History Museum in 1958, so much progress has been made that there are now said to be around 125 species of fish in the tidal river and estuary. There are plenty of eels along Lambeth Reach, as well as elsewhere along the tidal Thames, and cormorants make the most of them.
Time for a stretch A pair of cormorants opening out their wings to dryImmature gull arrives on scene and has a furtive look at a cormorant busily preening itselfSeen you…Immature gull Young herring gull Bonzo, whose fans have been left bereft since its departureA pair of Mallards making themselves at homeEnjoying the viewCrow arrives with a crust of bread and begins to soften it in water on the markerCrow thoroughly soaking its breadA pair of Egyptian geese on an inspection tourEgyptian goose rocked by the tideA first sighting of a pair of seals having a restSeal inspecting the facilitiesContented sealSeals managing to stay on the marker despite being rocked by the tide
There are a good number of discarded shells on the Victoria Tower Gardens’ foreshore, evidence of life in the river. I’ve seen gulls and crows breaking shells open, and even watched a crow eating a small crab but bigger fish are more difficult to see. However, here are two pictures of successful river *residents* each with an eel meal…
Seal wrestling with and eating an eelCormorant subduing and about to eat an eelUnoccupied marker awaiting visitors, rocked by the wash waves of a passing boat
A striking memorial sculpture on the Albert Embankment.
It’s an almost surreal experience walking or driving past riverside offices along the Thames towards Lambeth Bridge from the south, when the bows of a ship emerge suddenly from an office building: a ten tonne, seven metre high bronze vessel, with a seafarer on the prow. Appropriately sited, this monumental sculpture, the Seafarers’ Memorial, stands outside the headquarters of The International Maritime Organization, the only branch of the United Nations to have its main offices in London.
The Seafarers’ Memorial by Michael Sandle
The sculpture, dedicated to seafarers all over the world was commissioned by the International Maritime Organization to mark their 50th anniversary. The aim was to highlight “the pivotal role seafaring plays in world trade […] and to serve as a memorial to all seafarers who have been lost at sea.” Distinguished sculptor Michael Sandle created the winning design featuring a cargo ship. Quoted in an article on the IMO website, he explained “I have chosen a ship because it signals immediately and unmistakably what the Organization is about.” The work was unveiled on September 27, 2001.
The International Maritime Organisation headquarters on the Albert Embankment of the Thames, close to Lambeth Bridge
The finance for the memorial came from a Trust Fund established to mark the 50th anniversary of the IMO, and was one of several projects running at the time. The International Transport Worker’s Federation was a major contributor and their General Secretary, David Cockcroft said that he welcomed the memorial and hoped it would remind people “of the hazards faced daily by the world’s seafarers.”
Plaque on side of the sculpture marking the names of the foundry, Morris Singer Ltd. and the sculpter, Michael SandleView from sideSeafarer in position, ready to throw a line
In his submission to the IMO Committee responsible for choosing the winning design for the memorial, Michael Sandle wrote “The crew member, the ‘seafarer’ standing on the prow, about to throw a line, is dressed as a contemporary marine operative because there are ships like this still in service.”
Plaque on side of the sculpture marking the date of it’s unveiling on September 27, 2001 in Arabic, Chinese and English
Present at the unveiling ceremony, among the many dignitaries, including John Prescott the then UK’s Deputy Prime Minister, was the International Maritime Organization’s Secretary-General, William O’Neil, who as he unveiled the sculpture, summed up its significance saying, “The ship has a timeless air and the figure – rugged, reliable, and dependable – embodies all the qualities that have been demanded of seafarers throughout history.” ***************************************** IMO’s Mission Statement “The mission of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a United Nations specialized agency is to promote safe, secure, environmentally sound, efficient and sustainable shipping through cooperation. This will be accomplished by adopting the highest practicable standards of maritime safety and security, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of pollution from ships, as well as through consideration of the related legal matters and effective implementation of IMO’s instruments with a view to their universal and uniform application.”
