Thames Landscape Strategy - Hampton to Kew -

Arcadian Diary June 2004

Wow! What a month for the Thames Landscape Strategy: a Royal visit, our tenth anniversary and the launch of a major new project at one of the most successful riverside festivals I can remember. This string of events started on May 26th when HRH The Prince of Wales took a boat trip down the River Thames before attending a reception at Holly Lodge in Richmond Park to celebrate our first decade. The tenth anniversary of the Thames Landscape Strategy may not sound like much in its self but most similar ‘sub regional environmental partnership organisations’ (as we are convolutedly known in the trade!) usually survive, at most, for five years before being replaced by something ‘better’, a new improved formula. Whilst I would never say that the Thames Landscape Strategy is the perfect model, it has provided the role model for all subsequent partnership organisations along the Thames and has in recent years emerged as one of the UK’s leading and most influential environmental partnerships. It is only because we have stood the test of time (and held to our original vision) that we are now able to make a real difference on the ground, primarily through the project work such as London’s Arcadia and the Teddington Gateway scheme. It was this success that HRH came to celebrate.

The Prince was welcomed aboard the Environment Agency royal patrol boat, the Windrush at Hampton Court following a tree planting ceremony in the Palace grounds. Aboard the boat were invited guests representing the various aspects of the Strategy’s work, the community and the funding partners. The river cruise provided us with the opportunity to point out many of the delights of the Arcadian Thames as well as some of the things that have not gone quite so well.

As one could imagine, I was pretty nervous about the whole event. Not only is Prince Charles the heir to the throne but he is also one of the country’s most influential environmental campaigners interested in a range of subjects including conservation, planning and architecture. But within minutes of being presented, I was completely at ease. The Prince’s depth of knowledge and genuine interest in the River and its conservation was infectious. On our journey downstream, the role of the Thames Landscape Strategy was explained and project work was identified such as riverbank enhancements at Albany Reach in Thames Ditton, Kingston Riverside improvements, the ‘London’s Arcadia’ project, the Restoration of Ham Avenues, and the Teddington Gateway initiative.

At Kingston, HRH met staff and volunteers of the River Thames Boat Project on board the Richmond Venturer, the Charity’s specially equipped community boat. On board the boat, the Prince was introduced to a party of disabled children from Bedelsford School who were on the Venturer for School on the River, a day of environmental education activities about the Thames, run by Boat Project staff and volunteers. The children were not told until the last minute who they would be meeting that morning and were obviously very excited when they discovered who their special guest was. It was immense fun.

Following the boat trip, HRH attended a garden party at Holly Lodge, Richmond Park where he chatted with representatives of local groups and members and officers of the Thames Landscape Strategy partnership. Closing the day’s events, HRH gave an informal speech reminding us all of the importance of good design and well considered conservation management and in particular the need for simple good manners when considering new initiatives and developments along the river. It all sounded very sensible to me and is exactly the way of thinking that underpins all of our projects including our latest scheme ‘Teddington Gateway’.

This latest project was launched at the Teddington Riverside festival, a hugely successful event organised to co-inside with the centenary of the Barge Lock and the Teddington RNLI Lifeboat Day. The sun shone all day and it is estimated that up to fifteen thousand people came to enjoy the fun and entertainment.

One of the stalls at the festival was selling old Edwardian postcards of Teddington Lock depicting the area full of boats with dozens of people walking along the towpaths. The Riverside Festival reminded me exactly of these halcyon days. The Lock was buzzing with people, and boats of all kinds decked in their finery filled the water. There were otters, lifeboat displays, trip boats, craft stalls, bands and beer tents. But at 4.00pm everyone fell silent for one minute to honour fallen D-Day heroes before a brass band played ‘happy birthday’ (for a lock!). The ceremony took place on top of one of the moored boats and was a most fitting climax to the day. Talking to local people afterwards everyone agreed that they had never seen the place so full of life. Well done to all of the organisers and in particular to Tim and Ingrid of the RNLI and Rod Schmidt, Head Lockkeeper at Teddington. A good start to the restoration of Teddington’s river.

All in all a good month (but for now back to the summer mowing –as long as it stops jolly well raining!).

For more information write to The Thames Landscape Strategy, Holly Lodge, Richmond Park, Richmond or visit www.thames-landscape-strategy.org.uk

River Fact

The Thames has changed its course many times. 2,000,000 years ago the river actually flowed much further north than its present day channel passing through what is now St. Albans.

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