Flowing
from the hinterland of a green and old England until it drains into the
North Sea, the River Thames is awash with history.
However, for
sheer density and variety I find it's hard to beat a visit to 'the
smoke'. Those who know London and the area by the river will appreciate
the amount of development and how this has opened up the Thames pathways
to pedestrians.
A stroll along the waterside
on a Sunday morning, for a drink in the Flounders Arms, The Anchor or
the Prospect of Whitby, 30 years ago for instance may well have been
taken alone. Today people come out in their thousands. And you cant
blame them as some of the best views of London's city-scape can be taken
for free along the waters edge.
For us salty types the city
can be the proverbial sweet shop and the image below shows just one
little treat that can be found tucked away in St Mary Overie Dock,
literally minutes away from Shakespear's Globe Theater. This is a full
size ocean-going replica of Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind; Golden
Hinde II. Built by J. Hinks & Son in Devon and launched in 1973,
she's also sailed around the world but other than a visit to the boat
show in 2003 she has been sat here since 1996. She was the dream of two
Americans who wanted to celebrate the 400th year since Drake landed on
the west coast of North America. Her story is a fascinating one, too
long for this page but to share one small thought, to those who like to
mix a little ale with their sea-salt - when Sir Francis Drake set sail
on his epic round the world exploration, in 1577, he would have sailed
right past the Prospect of Whitby as it was built in 1520. Tony
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