Being an island, Britain has always had a particular
affinity with the sea, with sailing, with boats. Even those of us with no
nautical or naval tradition cannot help but find it fascinating and enjoyable
to go on boat trips, by which I count anything from a full-blown luxury cruise
to a trip on the Woolwich ferry.
Equally fascinating is the opportunity to see familiar
places and recognisable landmarks from a different perspective, which Val and I
did on Monday last when we sailed on the PS
Waverley from Tower Pier down the Thames, across the Estuary to Whitstable
via Southend-on-Sea and back again. The Waverley
is the last seagoing passenger carrying paddle steamer in the world. Built in
1947, the ship offers excursions around Scotland, the Bristol Channel, the
South Coast and the Thames. A trip on the Waverley
has been on my “to-do” list for a number of years, but for one reason or
another it hadn’t happened before.
It was a long, but charming and absorbing day out. Monday
dawned with mist hanging over the Thames as we joined the ship at Tower Pier.
Commuters flocked across London Bridge; probably many of them didn’t even
notice the paddle steamer moored on the river’s north side. Commuters on Tower
Bridge did notice however as the bridge had to be opened to allow Waverley to sail through.
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| Tower Bridge opens as Waverley departs the upper Pool of London. |
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| Mist still clings to the towers at Canary Wharf. |
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| One of the pontoons of the Thames Barrier. |
Passing down towards the Dartford crossing and an
opportunity to take a look at the engine room. In the buttoned up, health and
safety conscious, risk averse world we live in today, it was quite a shock to
see the piston rods and other machinery exposed and to be able to approach
within a few feet of it all. It was quite refreshing to go on a trip where,
although safety was obviously paramount, the passengers were treated as adults
who had a modicum of common sense; it made for a very relaxed atmosphere aboard
ship.
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| Close up with the engine aboard PS Waverley |
We passed the Dartford crossing, under the Queen Elizabeth
II Bridge, which I have driven over frequently, but never previously had the
opportunity to sail under, the traffic droning over our heads. Sailing towards
it was not unlike approaching The 25th of April Bridge on the river Tagus as one
approaches Lisbon. Past Dartford and the landscape on the northern side of the
river remains industrial. Proctor & Gamble’s plant at West Thurrock,
Tilbury Docks, the new (and as yet not open) deep water container facility at
Shell Haven, the grandly named but rather unimpressive London Cruise terminal,
Canvey Island and then Southend-on-Sea and the world’s longest pleasure pier.
In days of yore, steamers plied a regular trade from Southend to Margate, to
Lowestoft and beyond. I appreciate that it would likely not be profitable, but
I would love it if a scheduled service to places like those were still
available from Sarfend.
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| The QE2 Bridge at Dartford |
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| A large crowd gathered as Waverley docked at Southend. |
At two o’clock we docked at Whitstable, a place that Val and
I know well. Having only an hour ashore limited what we were able to do,
however. Given that it was a short break before Waverley sailed again a meal at The Crab & Winkle, a fabulous
fish restaurant in the harbour, was unfortunately out of the question, as was a
walk to Tankerton, which we do regularly, so it was a quick stroll down the
high street and a plate of delicious fish and chips before returning to the
ship.
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| At Whitstable. |
The return trip was as fascinating as the outbound journey
had been. At Southend we were greeted by the sight of a seal gambolling about
in the water under the end of the pier; I can only assume that it was lost! As
we sailed west, the sun set before us so that we passed under the QE2 bridge in
twilight, and reached the O2 at North Greenwich after sunset. From the Royal
Observatory, a green laser fires into infinity, marking the meridian. The
towers of Canary Wharf loom into view, illuminated like a Christmas tree, then
recede as Waverley passes round the
Isle of Dogs, before appearing again. Then through Tower Bridge, lit up with
blue and white lights; watching the bridge open it struck me how quickly it is
able to do so, and then, eleven hours after we had departed, we were back at
Tower Pier.
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| Canary Wharf by night |
All in all, a brilliant day out and one that I recommend
wholeheartedly, although I have to say that had the weather been inclement, it
would have been pretty miserable as the amount of covered accommodation on
board is insufficient to cater for all the ship’s passengers, but on a fine day
like Monday, it was terrific. This was not an excursion that drew many young
people (i.e. the under fifties!); it is perhaps the sort of thing that by and
large attracts those of a certain age, one of whom bore an uncanny resemblance
to Denis Healey. It was only when he opened his mouth to speak to his
travelling companion that I was certain that it was not in fact the former
Chancellor of The Exchequer.
The Waverley is
cared for by a team of professionals and volunteers; it may be a commercial
venture, but the people who keep the ship afloat, and others like it, are doing
it as much to keep a part of Britain’s heritage alive as to make a profit. In
the same way teams of volunteers run steam railways and the like and these
people deserve praise and admiration for their efforts. In the days when cruise ships have become so
huge, like floating cities and when air travel is quick and cheap, it is still
wonderful to take a leisurely river cruise like this one, to enjoy the passing
scenery and the actual ship itself, a memory of a bygone age.
Interesting links:
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