Thames Day: I probably won’t be going to Thames Day which takes place this year next Sunday 22nd September 2024, organised by the Thames Festival Trust and the City of London Corporation as “An exciting day of free family activities, Thames Day celebrates World Rivers Day and the significance of the river Thames to the nation’s capital city.”
Thames Day is a part of the larger Thames Festival which began in 1997 when it included a high wire walk across the Thames, and until 2012 organised activities on and around the river between Tower Bridge and Westminster Bridge.
“In 2013, Thames Festival was relaunched as Totally Thames, a month-long season of river and river-related events along the whole 43 miles of the River Thames riverfront in London, from Hampton Court Bridge in the west to the Dartford Crossing in the east.”
Back in 2005, it was the London Mayor’s Thames Day and I spent much of Sunday 18th September photographing some of the range of activities taking place, though I left before the fireworks. Here’s what I wrote at the time, along with some pictures from the day.
“Thames day reminds London of its river, and its heritage, as well as providing some free entertainment. Some of the activities that make it up perhaps lack visual interest, and it didn’t help that the day was grey and dull. The flotilla of boats disappointed, although the sight and smell of a coal-fired screw steam tug in the upper pool brought back some memories.
The river police also were obviously having a good day, showing off the fairly impressive speed of their launches, and it was good to see the river looking almost crowded at times.
The barge race seemed rather false, relying more on weight and fitness of a crew rather than the traditional skills of watermen, who often managed such vessels single-handed.
Then there were various performances, including a large and enthusiastic children’s choir in The Scoop, and some Japanese drums and dance.
It livened up the day for lots of Londoners (and tourists) and the fireworks (i didn’t stay for them) will have given them some evening entertainment too.”
