Drink Prosecco on the Regents Canal and Save the Swans

On Saturday 15th September 12-2pm, please come and join us for a 2-hour boat trip on Freda, one of Hidden Depths' narrow boats that moors on the Regents Canal at Granary Square Steps, Kings Cross.

Denise's lovely hand-drawn sign

The trip has been arranged to raise money to pay for the continued care of sick and injured swans at the wonderful Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton.

All monies raised will go to the Swan Sanctuary – Hidden Depths is waiving the boat hire fee and we are hoping to raise around £1,000.

The guided tour with free Prosecco will depart Granary Square steps at 12 noon and will travel twice through the 200 year old Islington Tunnel.
Come and find out more about this historic section of the Regent's Canal whilst sipping some fizz and enjoying the eerie, yet calmingly quiet experience of the tunnel. Along the way you'll hear about art, innovation, engineering, ice, coal, shopping and, of course, swans.

Islington Tunnel

Tickets cost £25 per person – the boat holds a maximum of 42 so to secure your place please call Barbara on 07456 084584.

Hidden Depths' narrow boats can be hired for all sorts of private parties and occasions. Guided tours also available*.

Richmond Lock and Weir Draw-off – Low tide on the Thames – 29th October to 19th November 2017

Each year the tidal Thames is allowed to rise and fall naturally between Richmond and Teddington locks, so that the Port of London Authority can carry out essential maintenance on those locks and other infrastructure such as the weirs and sluices.
The extremely low tide this creates gives an opportunity to enjoy rare views of the Thames. This year the draw-off will happen in the three weeks between 29th October and 19th November.
In 2015 I went to see this with some friends, in fact we ended up walking from Richmond to Chiswick Strand via Isleworth and Brentford and it was a great day out*.

The low tide effect was especially good at Isleworth, as shown in the last eight pics, where we gained access to the river at the boat ramp (or whatever it's called) and saw one of those special foreign geese in amongst the regular ones (bottom left). It was really strange and special to be standing almost in the middle of a river.
It's also a good opportunity for a tidy up and local people and environmental groups gather to clear the river of harmful plastic and other litter.
PLA's notice to mariners regarding safety etc

*Except for trying to find Gunnersbury Station at the end – this must be the most well-hidden, hardest-to-access station in London... unless you can think of other contenders for that crown...?

The Worshipful Company of Vintners livery hall

You may recall that earlier this year I visited two of London's livery company halls, namely The Drapers and The Cutlers.
Well here are some pics I took whilst on a tour of The Worshipful Company of Vintners' livery hall. Situated on almost on Southwark Bridge, it is a fine building with a rich history, lots to see and plenty of interesting stories to hear about.

In no particular order – paintings of the old City of London and drunken cherubs, swans, wood and stone carvings, the coat of arms in glass and some very old gilt tapestries

The downside to this tour was that, unlike the others, we weren't even given a cup of tea, let alone a glass of wine – the Cutlers had plied us with madeira!

A point of interest; the Vintners, along with the Worshipful Company of Dyers, are the keepers of the Queen's swans and hence take part in the Swan Upping Ceremony every year (see also here).

These tours were booked through London Historians

More generic info about the livery companies here