The River this winter

Around here, when we say "the river" we mean the Thames. We know it very well because we row on it and in the summer, occasionally we swim in it. We keep an eye on it and we get a feeling for beauty through it. The river is not a natural river, because at some point it was dredged, changing its profile from a saucer shape with a huge flood plain, to a flat bottomed U shape. On both sides, the banks were reinforced and people built nice homes alongside. They started as holiday chalets that the owners accepted would be flooded sometimes, but now they are brick and concrete houses that have to be insured for hundreds of thousands of pounds. So a flood costs the insurance companies millions.

My niece is in this picture - and friends of mine.
To avoid flooding, the river is carefully managed. The policy is to let the water out to the sea as fast as possible, reach by reach. This means that the bottom of the river is scoured of all the jelly-silt that used to build up, which was the breeding ground for all the water life, and it also means that we rowers cannot use the river, because the stream is dangerous. This winter we have had a lot of rain (and sleet and snow) and I have rowed on the river twice. A few years ago I rowed on it every week! But this winter has been awful.

Here you can see the new style houses on the other side of the river. They have replaced modest, flood-able dwellings. I resent the way the river is managed just to save the stupid people who invested all their money in a house on a flood plain. Get real, people! Have a look at the properties further down at Hampton and Sunbury - yes, they are floating. You need to get yourselves a houseboat.

Nice, huh?

Today there was a race at Hammersmith and my husband rowed in it - he said the wind was awful and there were huge waves. At least one crew capsized due to the river conditions, and had to be rescued by the safety launches.

Maybe it was a bit like this (the Boat race, 1912)

On the Tideway, the river is not affected so much by the rain and floods, but it is nearly always rough down there. the wind! the Waves!