The Twelve Days of Christmas

A flight of fancy along the Thames…

…to the traditional tune of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ with a few deviations from the original rhyme and rhythm.

Super yacht passing through Tower Bridge

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

Two fiery boats, FIRE DART and FIRE FLASH, on permanent standby at Lambeth.

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me: two fiery
boats and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

Three boats filming along Lambeth Reach

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me: three film craft, two fiery boats, and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

Four kayaks paddling upstream

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me four paddling kayaks, three film craft, two fiery boats, and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

Nostalgic look back to happier days in 2012

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: FIVE OLYMPIC RINGS, four paddling kayaks, three film craft, two fiery boats, and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

Westminster Bridge, one of the nine bridges by Leo Villareal for the Illuminated River Thames public art project

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: six arches shining, FIVE OLYMPIC RINGS, four paddling kayaks, three film craft, two fiery boats, and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

Yachts in St. Katharine Docks ready to race

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me: seven yachts a-waiting, six arches shining, FIVE OLYMPIC RINGS, four paddling kayaks, three film craft, two fiery boats, and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

Boats moored at Greenwich Yacht Club

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: eight masts a-clanking, seven yachts a-waiting, six arches shining, FIVE OLYMPIC RINGS, four paddling kayaks, three film craft, two fiery boats, and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

Plane tree leaves on the Victoria Tower Gardens foreshore

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: nine leaves a-lying (What?!), eight masts a-clanking, seven yachts a-waiting, six arches shining, FIVE OLYMPIC RINGS, four paddling kayaks, three film craft, two fiery boats, and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

The Thames Barrier protecting London

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: ten Barrier gates, nine leaves a-lying, eight masts a-clanking, seven yachts a-waiting, six arches shining, FIVE OLYMPIC RINGS, four paddling kayaks, three film craft, two fiery boats, and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

The well protected tug SIR HENDRIK

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me: eleven rubbery rings, ten Barrier gates, nine leaves a-lying, eight masts a-clanking, seven yachts a-waiting, six arches shining, FIVE OLYMPIC RINGS, four paddling kayaks, three film craft, two fiery boats, and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

Seen from Lambeth Bridge, boats at rest

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: twelve boats a-sleeping, eleven rubbery rings, ten Barrier gates, nine leaves a-lying, eight masts a-clanking, seven yachts a-waiting, six arches shining, FIVE OLYMPIC RINGS, four paddling kayaks, three film craft, two fiery boats, and a super yacht on the Thames, yippee!

Then I awoke…

Further information
Great admiration for the skills of those working on the Thames, and wishing all reading this a happy, healthy, and successful year in 2022.
Inspiration came from Larry the Cat @Number10cat, who has his particular gastronomic take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” every year.
And thanks to @AlanBarrierEA for correcting my Barrier counting!

Walking into night…

…from sunset at Blackfriars Bridge to night-time at Lambeth Bridge, past Illuminated River’s latest light installations.

Spring 2021 saw the second stage of Illuminated River’s marvellous public art installation: the lighting of Blackfriars, Waterloo, the Golden Jubilee footbridges, Westminster and Lambeth Bridges designed by Leo Villareal. They join London, Canon Street Railway, Southwark and Millennium Bridges, illuminated in the summer of 2019. A walk along the river Thames at nightfall is a magical experience as riverside buildings begin to light up, sprinkling glitter, shimmering on the surface of the water. Here I follow a small section of the Thames Path from Blackfriars Bridge upstream to Lambeth Bridge, looking at the newest installations, where the experience of oncoming darkness is further heightened by the gradual illumination and subtle evolution of the lighting on the bridges along the way.

The sun sets, and right on cue the illumination beneath Blackfriars Bridge stirs into life
Afterglow catching the upstream side of Blackfriars Bridge as different colours of the illumination grow stronger
Waterloo Bridge with its band of light and changing colours beneath its arches
Illuminated arch of Waterloo Bridge and M.V. THOMAS DOGGETT at her mooring
The Jubilee footbridges either side of the Hungerford Railway Bridge
Two of Westminster Bridges arches in their classic shade of green
A subtle change in the lighting of Westminster Bridge as its colour evolves to another shade of green
Partial unveiling of the Elizabeth Tower and one of its clock faces
Luxury yacht BOURNE heading towards Westminster Bridge
M.V. MERCIA heading towards Lambeth Bridge seen from Westminster Bridge
The seven illuminated arches of Westminster Bridge
Lambeth Bridge seen from Victoria Tower Gardens
Lambeth Bridge seen from the Albert Embankment
The London Eye seen from Westminster Bridge
The London Eye and Westminster Bridge seen from Lambeth Bridge

From nightfall you can see the Thames as a kaleidoscope of liquid colour, with infinite, ever-changing reflections shifted by the constant movement of ebbing and flowing tides, wash waves from passing boats, and gusts of wind. But at 2.00 am, the lights fade, the bridges darken and the river returns to its more restful natural state…

Further Information
Article in the Financial Times by Edwin Heathcote, February 10, 2021
Article in the Guardian by Rowan Moore, April 11, 2021
The Illuminated River Project
The Illuminated River Art Trail