Tag: London

Queen’s Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant ‘avenue of sail’

The Queen’s Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant event on the River Thames in London on the 3rd June will be quite a do!

In addition to the procession itself, I’ve just learned that there will be an ‘avenue of sail‘ – that is, long lines of tall-masted sailing vessels moored along the river banks. The vessels included in the avenue are about as starry as they could be, and among them:

  • legendary pilot cutter Jolie Brise
  • Sir Francis Chichester’s globe-circling Gypsy Moth IV
  • Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s solo non-stop circumnavigating Suhaili
  • smack Endeavour
  • 1808-built smack Boadicea
  • Baltic trader The Queen Galadriel
  • well known sailing barges such as Pudge, Hydrogen, Cambria and Edith May

This list is just a sample – and it’s in addition to the thousand or so craft taking part in the procession of smaller craft, which has been much better publicised – see the organiser’s leaflet listing the boats they think spectators should look for leaflet here.

Sadly it doesn’t include the wonderful Humber sloop Spider T but with so much good stuff going on, I guess they can’t list everything…

I’m sure we’re all hoping the weather is very kind that day, for the everyone’s sake. It would be great if it was so light that the tall-masted craft could fly their sails at their moorings. But if there’s just a little more breeze it won’t half suit those of us who are quietly planning a sailing trip over the long Jubilee weekend…

 

Sailing barge film Red Sails free public screening at Faversham

Red Sails A4 free screening poster

Red Sails is a new Michael Maloney film that uses interviews and archive footage to explore the history and influence of the Thames sailing barge.

There’s a website to read here, and the film is to be launched to the public with a free public screening at the Royal Cinema, Faversham on the 7th December at 1pm.

Over generations, sailing barges had a huge influence on the development of London and towns, villages and rivers nearby and along the Thames Estuary and beyond, and this film looks at the craftsmen who built these amazing boats, their skippers, and the boys and men who crewed them.

For those of us who can’t make it (like me – I really should be working for a living that day!) there’s a page of links to preview Youtube clips here.

See SS Robin return to London and the Royal Albert Docks on Wednesday

Steam coaster SS Robin on her pontoon

If you’re anywhere near London on Wednesday, try to slip down to Royal Albert Dock at 11am to see the last complete steam coaster SS Robin return up the Thames to arrive at her new home, close to where she was built 120 years ago.

A National Historic Fleet vessel, SS Robin, is now to be on show mounted on a new floating pontoon, specially built to carry her, and once she is safely moored in the dock she will undergo extensive conservation work to turn her in into a new London visitor attraction and learning centre, and may become a permanent fixture.

As well as at the Royal Albert Docks, the public will also be able to see her from any of the points shown on the map on this flyer.

SS Robin Trust CEO and co-founder Nishani Kampfner argues that the SS Robin is the most important maritime symbol of London’s trading and economic success. Over a lifetime spanning three centuries her story represents risk, enterprise and endurance – what he calls ‘the qualities of our Victorian forefathers’.