Next Wednesday 20 August those who died in the Marchioness tragedy will be remembered during the services at Southwark Cathedral. It will be 25 years since the early morning accident on the River Thames.
The cathedral, which is a short distance downstream from the scene of the collision, has the memorial just inside the main door.
Today, as a result of a recommendation following the inquests, the RNLI has a lifeboat station at Waterloo Bridge. It is the busiest in the country.
Mucking CreekVisitor centre cafeLaunch ribbon on kissing gate at Mucking Creek
This week has seen a glimpse of the future. A ribbon across a kissing gate on Mucking Marshes was cut on Thursday marking the ‘opening’ of the Thames Estuary Path.
The route is about 30 miles long starting at Southend and ending at Tilbury Ferry. Two sections are awaiting confirmation and fencing.
The ceremony was on the west bank of Mucking Creek and a short walk from a new visitor centre on the Thameside Nature Park Reserve. The Cory Environmental Visitor Centre has not only toilets, a bookshop and a cafe but a flat roof allowing walkers to enjoy panoramic views down the estuary and across to Kent. The high ground of Mucking Marshes is the result of the dumping in the 20th century of London’s rubbish.
Now the swooping sea gulls are out numbered by the return of other birds. This year the blackberries are ripening early.
At Mucking, the estuary path runs briefly by the shoreline before crossing Mucking Creek and heading for the redundant Mucking Church on the way to Tilbury Fort.
The Thames Estuary Path leaflet lacks detail and to me remains confusing even when read alongside an OS map. There is still a lot of work to do and the new signage needs enhancing.
But there is enough to see which raises a real possibility that the start of the Thames Path could one day be in Southend. Whatever the problems in Essex there are many more on right bank – the Kent side.
Tilbury Ferry carries you across the River Thames to Gravesend from where the Thames Path could continue upstream towards Erith. The biggest investment will be a footbridge at the mouth of the River Darent.
The controversial scheme involves building the crossing between Reading Bridge and Fry’s Island. It will link Christchurch Meadows on the left bank with the towpath on the right, the town side.
In April there was concern raised about felling 30 year old trees on the meadows and a Green councillor raised objections.
The Thames Path will gain little except more local walkers enjoying a circular walk from Caversham.
The pub, much changed since the 1980s, now charges from £130 for a double room bed and breakfast. Being a remote area some walkers might be tempted. A pint of bitter is £3.60.
Kate Ashbrook has produced the best report I have seen on the situation at Maidenhead where the council intends not only revoking its own decision to reopen the towpath but also reducing green open space.
This is where the world’s first telegraph cables were made enabling people to send and receive messages in minutes rather than days or weeks.
Much of the wharf is being redeveloped by Barratt Homes and the focus of concern is the future of Enderby House which was built in about 1835 by Charles and George Enderby.
Elizabeth Enderby was the mother of General Gordon of Khartoum who spent his last night in England at the house.
Updates on the situation and consultations can be found on a new Enderby Wharf website.
Bugsby’s Reach, the first reach on the Thames Path, is not going to be renamed Waterman’s Reach.
The idea of marking the 5ooth anniversary of the Waterman’s Company sounded a good idea but losing the name Bugsby’s meant losing a link with the mysterious past.
