I had a variety of routes that I could take to reach Waterman's Hall. I could have used my Freedom Pass to make the journey for free or at a discounted fare by
- Mainline train from Woolwich Arsenal to Cannon Street, and walking from Cannon Street to Waterman's Hall
- Docklands Light Railway from Woolwich Arsenal to Tower Gateway, and walking from there to Waterman's Hall
- Underground from North Greenwich to London Bridge, then London Bridge to Monument, and walking from Monument to Waterman's Hall
- Thames Clipper from North Greenwich to Tower Pier, and then walking from Tower Pier to Waterman's Hall
As it was very hot, I opted for the latter of the options. The discounted fare was just over £5.00 and despite having to wait for ten minutes for the boat to arrive, I was able to sit on North Greenwich Pier in the open and with a mild breeze helping to keep me cool.
A section of the Thames Clipper route. © Uber Boat by Thames Clipper.
The route took me along the River Thames from North Greenwich to Greenwich, and then on to Malthouse Terrace, Greenland (Surrey Quays), Canary Wharf, and then to Tower ... and after I got off I realised that I should have taken photographs of the various places of interest that we passed along the way.
By the time the formal dinner was over, it was nearly 10.00pm, but it still felt as hot as it had done earlier in the evening. I decided to return to North Greenwich by Thames Clipper, and this time I remembered to take some photographs!
Tower Pier gives some wonderful views of the River Thames at night, as I hope that the following photographs show.
Tower Bridge. Like all of London's major bridges, it is illuminated at night.
The south bank of the River Thames as seen from Tower Pier. The Shard (which is situated atop London Bridge Station) dominates the skyline, and London Bridge can be seen on the right of the photograph.
HMS Belfast, which is part of the Imperial War Museum, is permanently moored between Tower and London Bridges.
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Hi Bob. What a fabulous way to travel in all this heat!! Paul
ReplyDeletePDL (Paul),
DeleteIt was very comfortable. The Clipper has aircraft-style seating as well as a bar selling tea, coffee, cold drinks, and alcohol. It also has toilets … which is big plus when you reach my age!
All the best,
Bob
We're venturing up to London today for the 1st time in about 15 months. Kt such an exciting mix of travel options as yours though... train to Victoria and then walking to avoid the tube
ReplyDeleteAlastair,
DeleteAt least it doesn't seem quite as warm today ... but that is a fair old walk! Mind you, avoiding the Tube is a good idea!
Have a great day,
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteNice to see the Tower Bridge all lit up- we were there in London in April 2015 and didn't see the bridge at night as it was way to cold to venture out of our lodgings on the Thames. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteOver recent years, the major London bridges have been illuminated at night, and it has improved the whole vista of the Thames.
April can be an awkward time of year in the UK, with weather and the air temperature being very variable.
All the best,
bob
I would sooner be here in a triple digit freak heatwave (118 F old money) than 88F in the UK. At least we have AC. It was nice to have the option of river transportation.
ReplyDeleteSteve8,
DeleteI have experienced higher temperatures in Spain than we are currently experiencing in the UK, but they are geared up for it, and have buildings that are designed to cope. Air conditioning can make life more comfortable, but it always seems to be set at too low a setting, which seems to make up you more uncomfortable if you need to go outside.
The River Thames is a much underused resource, and there are plans to extend the river bus service to cover even more of the river.
All the best,
Bob
The Thames certainly looks much better at night now than it did back in the 80's when I lived and worked there. We have good river taxis here in Bristol and certainly a very nice way to view the city. Let's hope the river bus service does get extended for you all in London.
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteThe regeneration of the Thames riverside has made a tremendous difference … but not always for the better. Productive industry has almost completely disappeared, to be replaced by housing and service industries.
I didn’t know that Bristol had a river taxis service! I’ll look out for it next time I am there.
All the best,
Bob
It was running a couple of years ago when I last worked in Bristol, but don't know what effect, if any, the pandemic has had on its viability, given many people will no work from home. There are tourist boats that run from the centre and are rather nice as they go along the nicer parts of the Avon/harbour.
DeleteSteve J.,
DeleteI hope to visit Bristol later this year - pandemic permitting - and if it and the river cruises are still running, I’ll look out for them.
All the best,
Bob
I love the Thames at night. Well any time of day really. Many years ago during a train strike I used to commute into central London via the river bus from Greenwich. A lovely way to start the day.
ReplyDeleteNundanket,
DeleteI could spend all day just sitting and watching theThames. It doesn’t have anywhere near the same level of traffic as it did back when I was a child and the docks were still open, but there is always something going on.
The Clipper is my preferred means of transport because it is so much more relaxing than the alternatives, and I can see why people use it too commute.
All the best,
Bob
I trust the food at Waterman's was as good as ever?
ReplyDeleteIan Drury,
DeleteThe food was excellent, but the room was a bit overcrowded and uncomfortable, particularly on such a hot day.
All the best,
Bob