With all ‘out and about’ activities suspended because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, here is a wonderful chance for one lucky RTS member to own a unique wooden table 'The Silver River' featuring the River Thames in silver leaf and for all those who buy tickets to help an important River Thames charity.
About the table
Mike Orme has carved the river from source to sea in this beautiful table of Sheesham wood, illuminated in silver leaf, 1400 mm long, 465 mm wide and 455 mm high.
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Chairman: Hilary Pereira
020 8892 5086
Hon Secretary: Pat Speight
020 8948 0643
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The Upper Tideway branch has a limited social programme of talks, walks and picnics, some together with other local groups.
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We have a presence at various annual events, such as Tidefest, the Great River Race and Richmond Fair, and currently host the RTS cutter alongside a vintage craft just below Richmond bridge. With other local groups, we engage with the Thames Landscape Strategy, supporting and enhancing on our special local Arcadia.
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We have an interest in planning matters, trying to preserve what is best about the river, and are ever watchful for applications, including any new non-mobile houseboats, that appear to encroach on precious river space.
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The river authority for us is the Port of London Authority We responded last year to their proposals for changing the legislation under which they operate, but have yet to hear how they propose to proceed.
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We are a small branch in terms of the length of the river we cover, but hope we punch above our weight, for example in relation to policy matters.
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Current Activities - Branch Update (March and April 2024)
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The branch AGM was held on the 21st Feb at the Eel Pie Island Museum. The current committee were re-elected, and joined by Patrick Kidner. Unconfirmed minutes of the meeting attached here.
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The river remains full and flowing fast. The seal that had been around Richmond recently may have decamped to the semi-tidal Brent, since one has been seen there in the last few days. Not all the wildlife on the river is appreciated with a mink having been identified in Richmond during February: attempts at trapping are being made.
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The PLA held its annual public meeting on the upper river on the 4th March and representatives of the RTS attended. A note of the meeting is here, together with the answers received subsequently in writing to the RTS questions which could not be reached at the meeting.
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There has been a further meeting about a potential Heritage Harbour in Brentford. For more information about this national initiative, look at maritimeheritage.org.uk. The date of the planning inspectorate hearing on the Peggy Jean by Richmond Bridge has still to be confirmed, but may be in April.
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Local RTS members were among a good crowd at Chiswick Pier to cheer on the Oxford and Cambridge Universities boat race. However, traditional cutters being towed down for a fixed-seat race before the Universities races were swept into a bridge pillar at Richmond, so had to be brought back to safety upstream.
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There was no sign for us on the Tideway later that Easter weekend of the Devizes to Westminster canoes and kayaks, which we later heard was because the race had to be curtailed at Teddington because of the ‘red flag’ conditions. There is growing frustration how river flow is holding back our enjoyment from being on the river
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The RTS has been present at a public inquiry into the expansion of the Peggy Jean floating restaurant by Richmond Bridge, giving active support to the enforcement action of Richmond Council. This looks like being an important test case of protection of historic structures and the river from developments which have no necessity to be afloat, complicated in this case by the shared use of the facilities by boat users. The Inquiry continues.
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The next scheduled branch event is the joint meeting with the Richmond Society on the 25th April on flooding, now titled ‘Richmond-under-Thames’. Free to RTS members, further details can be found on https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/richmond-under-thames-tickets-880724941007. Following that, we have our walk around the Leg of Mutton nature reserve on the 15th May.
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Please see details of planned events on the Events page.
