Matt Rostron, the Rochdale-born CEO of London Youth Rowing (LYR) lives and breathes the river, for work and pleasure, and was drawn to it from an early age.

“Even as Northerner, I still get excited whenever I see the Thames, especially when I travel along it.

“I am still a little bit in awe with it, to be honest.

“As a kid, the river was always a ‘must see’ on school trips to London, when we had just four hours to ‘do’ all the sites, and when I got older, catching the train from Manchester to the capital for a weekend break.

“Recently I have got to know the estuary better, moving with my wife Cat, to live where the river meets the sea, after having resided in east London since 2006.

“During a spell working the in the states, it dawned on me just how much the river means to me."

Boat Race memories

“The Oxbridge University Boat Race was one of the key things that first drew me to the river.

“I remember clearly getting lost one year, travelling west from Putney Bridge; I was bitterly disappointed not to be able to see the start line from the train.

“Eventually emerging from the foot tunnel into Bishop’s Park, the scale of the river hit me. I hadn’t expected it to be that wide, that fast flowing and that exciting.

“I managed to walk alongside the river up to Barnes and watched the race, as it caught up with me there."

Work life balanced

“Nowadays, seeing the river is the signal that I’m home – it spreads out before us as we turn the last bend back to where we live.

“Particularly during lockdown, the river has become the focus of my morning walk before work.

“It has provided a place to not only think, but to drift off and not think about anything for a while too.

“The river has played its part of most of the decisions we have had to make over the last year.

“For no reason, I am strangely compelled to regularly check on the position of the tide."

Dream job

“Lots of people say this, but I truly have one of the best jobs in the world, working often on the river with some of the best people I have ever met.

“I sometimes have to check myself that I am actually getting paid, I enjoy it so much.

“Each year work LYR works with over 5,000 young people in schools and clubs across the capital, inspiring a good portion to take to the water for the first time."

A challenging year ahead

“COVID-19 has obviously made life hard for charities.

“At the start of the first lockdown, we made a conscious decision to prepare for life post the pandemic.

“With the generous support of Sport England and Tideway, we have restructured our finances for the long term.

“A key output has been the development of Race the Thames into a virtual online fundraiser – for both London Youth Rowing and other charities.

“It started life as a feature of the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships, an annual event we run, which has obviously fallen victim to the pandemic, so we have had to adapt.

“If you don’t have access to a rowing machine, you can use any exercise to clock up, either 72 km or the full 346 km option. You can even just walk, if you want.

“The most important thing is to keep active, have fun, connect with other people and raise money.

“With three times Olympic gold medallist Andy Triggs Hodge volunteering to run the event, we are super excited."

Future hopes…..and fears?

“I am hugely looking forward to Tideway completing the ‘super sewer’.

“But I worry that too many people will miss out on the great things the river has to offer.

“When I arrived at LYR, I was shocked by how many young people I met in inner city communities had no connection whatsoever with the river under their noses.

“We have to provide more opportunities for people of all backgrounds to enjoy the river safely, so they feel it is their river too.

Top river spots?

“I still find it impossible to name a single favourite bit of the river.

“I have loved rowing late in the afternoon in the slow waters of the river at Richmond, just paddling along.

“But the river where we live now is incredibly special too.

“Watching the ships as they head in and out of London, sounding their fog horns in the early morning, is a real treat.

“If pushed, I’d have to choose crossing London Bridge as the sun sets. You see what feels like the whole of London in either direction.

“It takes me right back to the first time I saw the river all those years ago.”

For almost two decades, the Thames has shaped the career of a native New Zealander, who has a passion for getting more women working on the river.

Cory Riverside Energy's Director of Logistics, Fran Comerford-Cole, oversees the company’s Materials Recycling Facility in Wandsworth, and its transfer stations, as well as its and lighterage and ship repair services on the river. She is also responsible for the company’s local authority contracts.

Often described as the “the busiest person in the company”, Fran joined Cory 19 years ago, when she arrived in the UK from Auckland. With a background in environmental science, her first position was recycling manager.

"The Thames plays a unique role in our operations and has become a big part of my life too. It’s something that would have been hard to predict when I was growing up in New Zealand" she says.

"My favourite part of the Thames? I’ve always been fond of the section that runs from Wandsworth Bridge to about Vauxhall Bridge – where it gets busier, as it begins to lead in towards the centre of the city, yet is still quite tranquil.

"I am proud of our role in using the river sustainably – getting the capital’s residual waste to Belvedere, where we turn it into energy. It saves tens of thousands of truck journeys a year, making London cleaner and safer.

"Our aim at Cory is to make a positive contribution. It’s an objective that’s been particularly to the fore as a result of COVID-19, with our teams continuing to process the capital’s, waste day in day out ever since the pandemic started.

"Our operation is a key, but often overlooked, part of what makes the city tick."

This year Cory’s connection with the river will be central to its 125th anniversary celebrations.

Having thrived in traditionally male-dominated environment, Fran is particularly keen to see other women follow in her footsteps and has recently joined the board of the Thames Skills Academy, founded by the PLA, Tideway and the Company of Watermen.

Fran says: “Attracting more people, particularly women, to train for jobs on the river is critical to maximising the potential of inland water ways in regenerating ports and coastal towns right across the country. Not only that, but speaking from experience – there can’t be many better places to work than the Thames.”

It’s now almost two years since Patricia Stoughton started a fortnightly blog on the Tidal Thames.

Her aim has been to try to unlock some of the stories “swirling around our beautiful, beguiling, dangerous, and ever-changing river”. Stories about people and places. And possibilities, like variations of patterns on the river’s surface, are endless.

She has photographed and written on workboats, tugs, and pleasure craft. And enjoying her contacts, she has among others, interviewed Vic Clarke, who remembers the river from his experiences on a collier in the 60s; Rob Jeffries, Hon. Curator of the Thames River Police Museum, expert on their history; and Chris Walker, Helm at the RNLI Tower station. She also learnt a lot about the river from Commercial Skipper, Wal Daly-Smith but it was her interview with Waterman and Lighterman Eric Carpenter, just before the Covid crisis took hold in March, 2019, that  helped her through the first lockdown, when of course she was unable to get around.

She explains that Eric worked for fifty years in a variety of jobs on the Thames, its tributaries and canals, which he got to know intimately: “Before I wrote about his life and career, he helped me with a series of articles on illustrations in The Thames from Chelsea to the Nore, 1907 by T.R. Way and W.G. Bell. He interpreted all kinds of details for me, such as why boats were moored in a particular way, and the direction of the tides.”

Interviewing curtailed during lockdown, Patricia photographed and wrote about its effects on the stretch of the river that she knows well between Westminster and Lambeth Bridges. She’s looking forward to going out for interviews again and to learning more about the Thames when it’s safe.

Read Patricia's blog here.

Four “angels” that keep the RNLI pontoon at Royal Terrace Pier safe ascended to the skies (10 December).

The quartet of heavy weights were lifted into the air by cranes aboard the Port of London Authority (PLA) vessel London Titan, to allow for the chains they are suspended from to be renewed.

Supervising the operation aboard London Titan was PLA skipper Keith Reynolds.

Keith said: “We were pleased to be able to help the RNLI out with this important piece of maintenance on their asset.

“Lifting each of the weights out individually took quite some time, but the operation went very smoothly.”

RNLI Gravesend’s Alan Carr said: ‘It is important Gravesend lifeboat is ready to launch at a moment’s notice, so having the pontoon working perfectly is really important in saving lives on this part of the Thames.

“We’re glad to see our four ‘angels’ will be keeping watch over us for some time to come!”

Public urged to look after one another on the river and its banks this yuletide

The combination of alcohol, drugs and activity on or by the tidal Thames is a recipe for Christmas and New Year misery.

That’s the message from the Port of London Authority (PLA), the organisation responsible for navigational safety on the river between Teddington and the coast, coinciding with the launch of the Royal Life Saving Society’s (RLSS) annual Don't Drink and Drown campaign (7 December).

RLSS research shows that over the past five years there have been over 1,400 accidental drownings across the UK. Over 30 per cent of victims were found to have alcohol or drugs in their bloodstream. Young men are one of the highest-risk groups.

Jenny Cooper, the PLA’s sports participation and community outreach manager, said: “Our reminder to everyone over the party season is please stay clear of water courses, if you’re under the influence, and make sure your friends get home safe too. Alcohol and drugs affect your decision-making ability, blur your senses, and impede the body’s ability to survive in the water."

Flowing at the speed of an Olympic swimmer, the Thames has a daily tidal rise and fall of seven metres.

The impact of ‘cold water shock’ also means that even the best swimmers can drown in the river in a matter of minutes at any time of year.

In addition, vessels, currents and hidden underwater objects endanger the lives of anyone who finds themselves in the river.

Jenny, who also chairs the multi-agency Tidal Thames Water Safety Forum, continued:

“After two lockdowns this year, many will be keen to enjoy the holiday season. The Thames is home to countless pubs and restaurants, and people may be tempted to take short-cuts home by the water’s edge. It’s important to remember, whether fast-flowing or still, cold water kills.”

Members of the public who spot people in difficulty in the river should call 999 and ask for the coastguard, rather than risk their own lives by entering the water.

#Don’tDrinkandDrown was launched in 2014, following a string of tragic drownings of young people. For more information on this year’s campaign, visit www.rlss.org.uk.

The Port of London Authority (PLA) and Thames Estuary Growth Board have welcomed the official opening of the Freeports competitive bidding process by the Government.

The partners say that a successful Thames Freeport bid would be transformational for community opportunity and economic development.

DP World and Forth Ports are finalising proposals for a Thames Freeport, with London Gateway, the Port of Tilbury and Ford's Dagenham engine plant at its heart.

The Thames Freeport bid is set to help meet priority targets, including: opportunities for levelling up deprived communities’ chances, with a focus on skills and training fit for a growing 21st century workforce; driving new largescale investment; and technical innovation around low carbon technology. Sectors encompassed in the bid will include advanced manufacturing, automotive and aerospace.

The PLA oversees operations on the Thames out to the North Sea, one of the UK’s major cargo handling hubs. Chief executive, Robin Mortimer commented:

“The Thames Freeport proposal will build on existing skills and expertise of internationally leading advanced manufacturing and logistics operations along the river. It will act as an innovation and clean growth hub across a range of sectors. With substantial development land available and global connections through port operations, the Thames Freeport is set to be a compelling proposition.”

For the Thames Estuary Growth Board, a successful Freeport bid is part of their action plan, ‘The Green Blue’, which sets out a vision to boost the local economy and unlock the regeneration potential of the Estuary. They have set out six criteria that were key to a successful bid across factors including: economic investment, innovation, environment, regeneration and community.

“I am delighted with the pace, intent and scope of the Thames Freeport bid,” said Chair of Thames Estuary Growth Board and Estuary Envoy, Kate Willard CBE. “This draws together and builds on the strengths of the estuary. The areas where the Growth Board is already innovating, for example around hydrogen, will see the clean, green innovation embedded at its heart, something which will make a difference to communities in terms of both quality of life and employment opportunity.”

A successful Freeport bid will support the Government’s levelling up agenda. Current unemployment rates in the Thurrock area, which is home to both the Port of Tilbury and London Gateway, are above the national average at 7%, and significantly higher in some areas of the unitary authority.

London Climate Action Week (16-20 November) has opened with the launch of Thames Green Scheme, a Port of London Authority (PLA) project, encouraging vessel operators to adopt more environmentally friendly practices.

Developed in partnership with vessel operators, applicants will be ranked in one of five tiers, from bronze, silver and gold, through to the highest ratings of diamond and platinum. Rankings will be based on their performance related to air quality, carbon emissions, energy use, water quality, litter and waste.

Veronica Chan, air quality adviser at the PLA, said: “We have introduced this new scheme to help the inland waterways community do their bit in achieving national Net Zero goals, improving air quality and reducing damaging carbon emissions.

“The rankings will recognise the early adopters of new technology and enable customers to make informed choices in the battle to combat climate change.”

Under the scheme, the PLA’s own fleet is set to earn a silver rating, a ranking aided by its investment in Leader, the UK’s first hybrid pilot cutter boat, which ferries its staff round the clock to and from visiting larger ships, to ensure their safe navigation up and down the river.

Driftwood II, a PLA vessel that retrieves litter and obstructions from the river, such as tree branches, is due early next year to be fitted with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, to cut nitrogen oxide emissions.

The PLA is also introducing facilities enabling its vessels to plug into onshore electrical supplies, rather than running their engines when alongside piers. This is one of the major changes the PLA is currently making as it expands Barrier Gardens Pier in Woolwich.

The Thames Green Scheme was previewed at the PLA’s recent Greening Inland Shipping webinar, attracting 150 delegates from around the world, where the company’s CEO Robin Mortimer stressed the need for urgency in delivering a Net Zero port: “There is no time to delay, we need to get on with it”, he said. “The imperative now is to build back better. “

Robin Mortimer added: “Thames Green Scheme is part of a package of things we have in place to support vessel operators including the roadmap for vessel emissions reduction.

“Our aim is to share best practice, support innovation and make sure the early adopters are recognised by passengers and logistics companies using the river.”

During the webinar (5 November), the PLA committed to cut carbon emissions by more than 60% by 2025 and achieve Net Zero by 2040.

Full details of the Thames Green Scheme are available on the PLA’s website