Thames Crossings - Thames Clipper - Masthouse Terrace Pier to Woolwich - Friday 10th October 2014

Oh well British Summer Time's almost over and I won't be able to take many photos of my walks home shortly. Even now its too dark by 18:00 to take any decent shoots. Well at least the video works pretty well in the dark and I must say I'm pretty pleased with my speeded up video of the trip on the Thames Clipper from Masthouse Terrace Pier to Woolwich. The trip actually took just under 20 minutes whilst my speeded up version is a little under three minutes, I even think the music fits well!

So what happened onto days trip, as normal not a lot. I made sure I left on the spot at 17:00 tonight as I was not sure if the trip would take longer than usual given the extended trip on the Thames Clipper. As it is I was home by 20:00 which is 20 minutes earlier than the regular walk.

I left by the back entrance, out via the tradesman's entrance and then it was the normal direct route, past Spitalfields, across Brick Lane.

Spitalfields

Brick Lane

I crossed Whitechapel Road, across Commercial Road, and into Watney Street market, still busy at 17:30.

Watney Street Market

Past Shadwell left into Cable Street then into Narrow Street and long the River front, with a good sunset developing. Then its all along the Thames path apart from the short road walk between Sir John Dougall Gardens and Docklands Sailing Club.

Thames Barge

I was quite surprised to find myself arriving at Masthouse Terrace Pier just across from Greenwich in time to catch the 18:26 Thames Clipper, if I was in time given the need to take photos, purchase a ticket and get the video camera out!

Sunset over the Pepy's Estate Deptford

Here comes the boat, but no ticket, but I did get the sunset over the Pepy's estate in Deptford, and the boat arriving but no video footage. The boat docked, people got off and the crew lifted the gangway, 'Hang on, I won't to get on' shouted the other passenger 'Only joking replied' the crew, I bet!

Thames Clipper arriving

I purchased my ticket on board, which cost £4.50 with a travelcard discount, I do feel the pricing of the service is a little steep compared to a tube or a train, but the view is far more spectacular! By the time I had completed the transaction we were arriving at Greenwich. I will need to remember this when I do that crossing and ensure I get my ticket first otherwise I will not be able to film!

Canary Wharf

I spent the journey filming, catching the sunset and the fading lights of Canary Wharf and then I concentrated on the river front at Greenwich and the Greenwich Peninsula. At the O2 or North Greenwich as the stop is called most passengers got off, mainly the "beautiful young people" obviously heading for a themed meal in one of the many high street chained restaurant or the cinema. Well I guess it beats paying £20 to park in the car park. Personally I don't like the O2 as a venue of choice for a night out, it was bad enough when I went there for the cinema, and don't get me going about the Tooting Car Moon exhibition in 2007!

Canary Wharf again!

On the final leg of the trip, I concentrated on the north bank and my favourite location Tate & Lyle. We slowed down to go between the Thames Barrier which was impressive all lit up and soon we arrived at Woolwich, and with a a final shot of the City I disembarked for the remaining 3 mile walk home, but not before taking some photos of the metal men in the Arsenal.

Assembly - Woolwich Arsenal

The walk home was quick, somehow I managed to walk through Woolwich and in particular Powis Street which meant I walking back on myself!

As I entered Academy Road it started to rain slightly but nothing to bad, and when I got home I had a lovely Bottle of German Weisse Beer!

A very good trip, the Thames Clipper at night is highly recommended!


View my video of the Thames Clipper Trip here!

Thames Crossing No 8 - Masthouse Terrace Pier to Greenland Pier - Friday 23 May 2014

Hooray I didn't have to return to Canary Wharf Pier today, boo I did have to return to Greenland Pier, and return is the operative word as the Clipper from Masthouse to Greenland took me back on myself and added a good 30 minutes to my trip.

View from Masthead Terrace Pier towards Deptford Creek

I could have done Greenland to Masthouse but that would have involved crossing the Thames three times, Tower Bridge to get to the south, back to the north from Greenland and then back to the south via the Greenwich foot tunnel.

As it is was I was late leaving work, at 17:30 as I was preparing for the Close Brothers World Cup Table Football Competiton, this involved making up the laws and preparing the fixtures. We only have 20 people taking part so 12 countries have been left out. When we made the draw Mo pulled out Hondouras and wanted to know if they were a good country to have, well Mo that depends on how good you are at Table Football!

Anyway I digress, let's get back to the walk, I went my normal way via Hanbury Street which bisects Brick Lane. Hanbury Street where it joins Princelet Street used to house the Alma Public House, my favourite boozer, unfortunately it's now a block of flats. I remember celebrating Wimbledon winning the FA Cup in 1988 and getting totally rat arsed on Hoxton Heavy, and struggling home. I phoned home from a red pay phone, this was pre mobiles, and asked Beverley to pick me up, when she asked where I was I said I don't know and hung up. Somehow she managed to find me at Bellingham bus garage, I'm still not quite sure were that it is somewhere near Catford I believe.

Oh god I'm still digressing, back to the walk, the reference to Hanbury Street was because it boasts street art and is also the home of Atlantis, the art supplier not the mystical underwater empire which featured in Stingray. I noticed the other week that some of the street art has been changed, however the big bird is still there. I've quite often seen tours down here no doubt street art tours. I did think of training for a Blue Badge tourist qualification, but at £5,000 it seemed quite expensive and I what would I have done with it if I had passed? I also passed Alvin Lee's business premises.

Street Art - Hanbury Street

Alvin Lee ex Ten Years After

On route to The Highway I crossed Whitechapel Road, I was here yesterday taking photo of the day, I walked past the East London Mosque with its three minarets and dome. It is one of the largest mosques in the Europe, accommodating more than 7,000 worshippers for congregational prayers. It holds the United Kingdom’s largest Friday congregational prayerservice and hosts weekly attendance exceeding 35,000 worshippers, eat your heart out CofE.

East London Mosque

Shortly thereafter I passed St George in the East, a Church in Shadwell and I looked up and there it was with its three towers not dissimilar to the Mosque. This was one of 50 baroque churches planned during the reign of Queen Anne to improve the social well being of the local population as they spent all their time on the booze. These churches are all grand and dominate their localities even today, and would have especially done so back in the early 18th Century, this can be especially experienced at Limehouse where the entrance of St Anne's is still lined by the original buildings. Of the 50 churches planned I believe only 12 were built, quite a few were designed by Hawksmoor. I should know as I did the 1711 walk four years which celebrated the building of these churches.

St George in the East

To get to Moathouse Terrace Pier I walked along the side the River Thames which has all been developed with luxury flats, actually I don't know if they are luxury flats but they have interesting designs and are quite attractive, would I wish to live here, I don't think so. One thing I did notice was that quite a lot of people where using their balconies and verandas. I've walked along here a number of times and have never seen so many people out on their balconies and verandas, and the evening was not even as nice as last week.

SS Great Eastern Slipway

Just before the Pier is the site of the SS Great Eastern slipway where the ship was built.  The Great Eastern was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and built by John Scott Russell at his dock here in Millwall on e Isle of Docks. One thing I do regret is that I never took a trip down the Thames before the dock were closed and knocked down, but I did pick up a book at a second hand bookshop that has photos of the entire length of the Thames from the Pool of London of what the Thames looked like in the hey day of the docks.

Masthead Terrace Pier

Masthead Terrace Pier was deserted, it was rather eyrie. I paid my £2.70 for the single to Greenland and awaited the four minutes for the Clipper. Here it comes, it started to slowdown and then speedied up as if it was playing with me and was going to 'steam' right past. I shouted out and it docked. One other person hurried down the slipway to catch the Clipper. The trip back to Greenland took all of three minutes and I was the only person to disembark. On my way through Deptford I waled through Sayes Court Park the site of Sayes Court where Captian Benbow had lodgings. I finally got home at 21:30 later than usual and I felt particularly tied the upshot of a tiring week at both home and the office.

Here's a short film of the crossing.

Postscript - I read on the Pootling around blog that the Thames Tunnel between Rotherhithe and Wapping was open for tours over the weekend, one end to the other, but all tickets sold out - damn!

Thames Crossing No 7 - Canary Wharf Pier to Greenland Pier - 16th May

For todays Friday walk home (EC2 to SE9) I made a return visit to Canary Wharf Pier to enable me to catch the Thames Clipper to Greenland Pier (for Surrey Quays). I thought last week was a very pleasant evening, well today was even better, so much so that I was able to walk in 'shirt sleeve' order, unfortunately I had left my earphones at home so it was a music free walk, I thought this would be bit, of a downer, but actually it enhanced the walk as I could take in all the sounds that the city had to offer, shouting, horns, cars, buses, shoppers etc etc etc.

I made a quick get away from the office, certainly no later than 17:10 and headed off towards Brick Lane and Whitechapel as normal ( ah Whitechapel, Monopoly, Photo of the Day - now that's another story!).

I decided to, walk around the back of Commercial Street as far as I could, this is the home of the Bengali community and there was a time when I could walk down Brick Lane and be welcomed into the restaurants and shops as a valued member of the community, but that was a long time ago and was due to my status as the Assistant Manager at the local Branch of NatWest.

My route took me along my old cycle route when I used to cycle to work everyday, the last time I did that was almost seven years ago, it's amazing how many people cycle that route now, in fact its one of these new fangled cycle super highways and to think I used it as my route of choice years before Boris and his boys got the blue paint out.

It did not take long to arrive at Canary Wharf pier, I must have been earlier than last week as there was a queue for tickets, the indicator board said the next Boat would be in 5 minutes. Hurry people I need to film the arrival of the Clipper and use the facilities. In the end I gave up and used the ticket machine, only after the ticket seller pointed it out to me!

The Hilton Clipper was chugging backwards and forwards and there seemed to be an awful lot of people down one end of the pier, I wondered why that was, but I went off to the other end so I could film the Clipper arriving, and here it comes!

Standing Room Only

It's at this point that I realise why there were so many people down the far end, that's where the Clipper docks and it's standing room only! The Clipper docks and the deckhand announces that they are full and can only take as many people on as get off, that happens to be 34. He invites those who arrived first to move to the front, hmm not much movement there. Whilst I wasn't one of the first I was certainly earlier than a number of people, but hey, the sun's out, it's warm I'm by the River, the views are good so I don't care, I'll wait for the next one, "ten minutes" the deck hand announces for the next Clipper.

Monsoon Clipper departing for Greenland

I should point out at this time the cost of my fare £2.70 with my Oyster discount, that 5p more expensive than last week when I travelled the shorter trip to The Hilton Hotel.

Eventually the Clipper arrived, it was more like 18 minutes but to be honest I did not care, it was so pleasant. In fact the Pier became a scene of high nautical activity as the Hilton Ferry arrived and so did two Clippers my 'all stops to Woolwich' and the express to somewhere else either Greenwich or Woolwich. The express had to wait off pier for us to depart.

Again the Clipper was very busy, with people, standing on the outer deck with beers, the Clipper has a bar, but I think this was in preference to sitting inside. I had no problem getting on board and made my way to the front. Damn the front seats were taken by tourists, in fact most of the seats appeared to be taken by tourists. But what's really grating is that they were not filming the journey, as I wanted to, or even looking out of the windows they were too busy looking at their phones.

Great view of Docklands

I sat as close to the front as possible, and very quickly they were announcing our arrival at Greenland Pier, so I made my way to the disembarking area. The journey took a little over 3 minutes, quicker then the shorter trip to the Hilton Hotel last week.

Greenland Pier

So that's that, and off I walked along the the river front past Greenland Dock, named so because most of the Greenland Whalers. Needless to say I stopped off at the Dog and Bell for a quick beer with Erik and Rose and then on to Greenwich Park passing the statue of Peter the Great with the small head. Apparently he came to the Deptford Shipyard to view boat building techniques incognito. Apparently Captain Benbow (later to become Admiral, hence the Blog title!) sublet Sayes Court to the royal party.

Peter the Great with a small head

Whilst walking through Greenwich Park I was asked to take a photo of a couple of guys in front of their toys, a big bike and a flash car, having completed this I then said can I take one and they were a little taken aback when I took their photos!

Boys with Toys

Arrived home 21:30 just in time to watch HIGNFY.