. Indulging my obsession with the River Thames again!
Previously, I’ve shown pictures of the river in her summer finery, so I thought I’d also show her as she looked today – swollen and displaying a bit of attitude due to some April showers.
Since I’m going to be working on the river a lot more now, and all year round, I treated myself to a different camera and mixed work and play.
Boulters Weirpool
Boulters Weir Gantry
Detail from above
The view down the reach. In summer this is the venue of the 'Duck Derby'. Hundreds of people sponsor little yellow plastic ducks which are all released together and gently float downstream to the finishing tape. It's Pooh Sticks on a grand scale, for charity. There are major prizes for the winners – a cake baked by The Women's Institute, jars of marmalade and that sort of thing! Posted by Catharine C. Kennedy (Member # 4459) on :
Looks to be a bit choppy there! Too slick for words, Arthur- many thanks, and keep us posted!!! Cat
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
Wow, that's fantastic for me see. Being a Latina from East Los Angeles, The River Thames, seems so far away. I mean like far, centurys away, old England, Oliver Twist, Henry the Eight and all of that. That river has seen it all.
Posted by Deb Fowler (Member # 1039) on :
It's exciting to see all the motion of nature! but, then, my favorite time is right before a storm with the wind gusting. nice pics, Arthur, good textures. (I do love a calm stream with a sunset and woods too).
Posted by Brian Scargill (Member # 2258) on :
Hi Arthur, Great photo's, lots of water and I bet you will still have a hosepipe ban when the summer comes ?? Brian.
Posted by Nancy Waller (Member # 6428) on :
Greetings Arthur, At the risk of sounding like another ignorant American, I have to ask: What is a 'Pooh Stick"? I am imagining all sorts of things it could be. Thanks for posting your pictures. They really show the power and beauty of your river. (I live near the great Mississippi river and it is a common destination for me on my bicycle). Lots of wildlife and bums, but no pooh sticks!? -Nancy
Posted by Arthur Vanson (Member # 2855) on :
Thank you for your replies, I'm really pleased that Alicia, from so far away, knows so much about the the part the Thames has played in the History of Britain.
Brian, your timing is impeccable, today both Thames Water and Three Valleys Water have imposed hosepipe bans! I can see how silly it looks, with the river pushing so hard but, the truth is that after two dry winters, the aquifers around the Home Counties are seriously depleted and you can't will flood water, which fell on the Marlborough Downs, to seep into the natural reservoirs provided by our local chalk hills. Would that we could.
Nancy, Pooh Sticks is a children's game from the stories of Winnie the Pooh. I've never read the book, but I believe the main characters are a teddy bear and donkey! So, no suspension of disbelief required there then! They play a game of dropping sticks from the upstream side of a river bridge and running to the downstream side to see whose stick emerges the first. Not very sophisticated but quite diverting at that time of life I seem to remember. Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Hey Arthur....I just noticed your tagline....that's my brother's name.....who is the Eric Gill you're quoting? funny coincidence.
Posted by Arthur Vanson (Member # 2855) on :
Hi Todd,
Eric Gill was an artist, a typographer and sculptor, among other things. He’s probably most famous, among British signwriters, for creating the Gill Sans and Albertus typefaces. Eric Gill studied under Edward Johnston, the calligrapher responsible for designing the lettering for the London Underground railway. Gill Sans, a development of Johnston’s London Underground alphabet, was adopted for the London North Eastern Railway after grouping, and later for British Railways after nationalisation. I think, by the quote: "This isn’t just the picture of an A, this IS an A – isn’t it?" He was trying to draw attention to fact that a typographer or signwriter isn’t just painting the representation of an A (or any other letter) he is painting an actual A. An idea I found rather pleasing. After all, not many painters of the bovine form are privileged enough to paint an actual cow or be responsible for it's creation! Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Arthur - thanks for the history! I learned something new today....Have "Gill Sans" in my arsenal and have used it on occasion....now I know who developed it and how it was originally used. Cool info! Thanks.
Posted by Jill Marie Welsh (Member # 1912) on :
Arthur, as usual your combination of prose and pictures is captivating. Will you post one for us of you in your new uniform? And yes, I did play Pooh Sticks as a child...and so did my kids. Love....Jill
Posted by Arthur Vanson (Member # 2855) on :
Probably not, Jill. And If I were so foolish, I certainly wouldn't be wearing the flatcap, they look so official. Posted by Catharine C. Kennedy (Member # 4459) on :
Obviously, to keep the River safe, they've put locks on it!!!
Posted by Wayne Osborne (Member # 4569) on :
Hey Arthur!, cool views of the old river,-You can really hear the roar of the water in those pics.
BTW: I'm Kinda related to Eric Gill- My Wifes-Aunties-Partner(who never married-but produced 3 fine kids and now lives in Woy-Woy NSW Australia) Anyway- His Uncle Eric-was the big man Himself.
Does'nt make my lettering any better, but its a nice story
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
Swollen...now that seems to be a bit of an understatement...turbulent seems a lit more descriptive...ah you English...such masters of understatement..."nice day for a riparian luncheon" Nice pics Arthur...keep 'em coming.
[ April 04, 2006, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: Duncan Wilkie ]
Posted by Arthur Vanson (Member # 2855) on :
Okay Duncan, picnic or riverside restaurant?
Wayne, yours may be a fairly distant relationship, but I'd be really proud of it too.
Here's a self portrait in case you've not seen it.
Eric Gill 1882 - 1940
Posted by Steve Shortreed (Member # 436) on :
I'm still convinced Arthur is actually Roy Orbison hiding out in England!
Wonderful post, as usual, Arthur. Still dream of seeing your part of the World someday.
Posted by Carl Wood (Member # 1223) on :
Hillbilly such as I am . . .I would just have to try fishing it downstream a little - B.T.W., what species of fish ya'll got in that stream? Reminds me of Pickwick Dam, Tennessee. . . .nice shots, Arthur
Posted by Arthur Vanson (Member # 2855) on :
Steve, my sister used buy Roy Orbison records, so naturally, I just had to hate his stuff! But having enjoyed listening to the Travelling Wilburys, I've come to rather like some of his recordings. Driving through Marlow last summer one of his songs came on the radio so I turned it up a little. I had to draw up at a pedestrian crossing for two ladies to cross the road and I noticed them staring and making asides behind cupped hands. Thinking of the number of times I've been told I look like him, I wondered if there might be a "Roy Orbison is alive and well and driving a van in Buckinghamshire" story in the papers next day! If there was I didn't see it.
Carl, I guess I must be a hillbilly because I'm always thinking of fishing those weirpools too and sometimes thinking turns to action. The non-tidal river contains many species: miller’s thumb, minnows, bleak, gudgeon, ruff, eels, perch, roach, bream, chub, carp, pike, brown, rainbow and sea trout, salmon and the my favourite, the barbel. They used to be confined to east flowing rivers, but various legal and illegal fish movements have introduced them to most British fast-flowing rivers, they are our rarest and most hard fighting freshwater fish. This is a picture of a 14lb barbel I caught on the Great Ouse, I’m not sure what the record is now, but at the time I had that one the largest rod-caught fish was just over 16lbs so it was a pretty good specimen.
Forgot the picture!
[ April 06, 2006, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: Arthur Vanson ]
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Nice pics Arthur...keep 'em coming.
