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Whitchurch Bridge: Work suspended

The flooding Thames continues to cause problems.

As reported by River Thames News, work on Whitchurch Bridge will now continue until July rather than finish at Easter.

Indeed this week work had ceased due to the “adverse river conditions”.

Road and river are closed for the bridge’s reconstruction. A temporary crossing continues to be available for walkers.

The plan to reopen the river at the end of March remains in place.

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Cookham: Pizza Dreams Cafe opens

There is a handy pizza cafe just opened very near Cookham Station.

You pass Pizza Dreams Cafe when walking into or out of the village.

Pizzas start at £6 and puddings are £4.

It’s worth trying when the floods go down and we can walk again.

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Ewen: Wild Duck for sale

The Wild Duck Inn at Ewen is up for sale.

After almost a quarter of a century, owner Tina Rowley-Mussell is leaving.

The pub, often a last stop before the source at Kemble, dates from 1563 and has a sign painted by Sir Peter Scott.

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Convoys Wharf: Ed Vaizey offers support

Having crossed Deptford Creek, the Thames Path soon runs up Watergate Street and past the Dog & Bell into Prince Street.

This brief inland route is around Convoys Wharf which Dame Joan Ruddock MP has highlighted in the House of Commons as an extremely precious site.

It is good to hear the unusually helpful reply from the minister Edward Vaizey.

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Shiplake flooded: more water expected

Today, Friday 10 January 2014, the entire Thames Path at Shiplake which only recently opened on the line of the towpath is under water along with the adjoining meadows and the gardens opposite. The tiny Lash Brook is now like a major river.

This is just one of many stretches which are now impossible to walk and where the water will get higher.

I am remaining on the tidal Thames since it is unwise to attempt to visit the upper reaches however tempting. In many places it is of course impossible and one would just be in the way of rescue work.

Such is the magnitude of the flooding that when scenes are shown on television it difficult to recognise the location.

In writing reports and guides to the river over more than thirty years this is the worst and most prolonged flooding I have known.

It will be some time before the entire Thames Path is available again but even longer before riverside homes will have dried out.

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Lords protest at ‘Garden Bridge’ idea

The idea of a garden bridge being built across the river Thames in central London has run  into opposition in the House of Lords.

The London SE1 website has  a report.

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Thames Path: 100 + flood warnings

The death near Osney Lock involving a mobility scooter on the towpath is a reminder that the Thames is a dangerous river at the moment.

Tonight there are 152 flood warnings along the river. Walking the Thames Path is not  a good idea or even possible.