boat, walks, family

two weekends ago SJ and I met up with his two aunts, one uncle and a cousin.

We took a boat trip down the Thames from Westminster to Kew.

The flood barrier was up because the tide was going to be 7 meters so we could only go as far as Kew instead of to Richmond with our original plans.

our guide pointed out all that all the boats with the red cross flags were ones in the original Dunkirk invasion.

more boats

one of the many power stations no longer in use :(

our guide kept lamenting how the river is not being used like it should be

a church on either side of the bridge

second church

I saw a little boy skipping stones near one of the many boat clubs along the northerly part of the Thames

Harrod's Furniture Depository- now luxury apartments

The Dove- a very tiny pub that we have been to a few times in Hammersmith; claim to fame as having the smallest bar in England

Cool ivy-covered house

from what I gathered- hanging a hay block signals that the bridge is of a certain height so cannot accommodate all boats?

birdy

riverside homes- a lot of homes either have flood gates in front of their doors or have their doors up stairways like the two on either side.

a picture hanging inside our boat

After the boatride/tour we began the search for somewhere to have lunch. We settled into a pub where we got assorted lunches. I had fishpie and SJ got mediterranean tart.

For dessert- SJ's 'school jam pudding' with cream

my berries n ice cream!

a grand home on the walk from Kew to Richmond

SJ and Aunt Judith

SJ, Sheila, Judith, Ken

We then took the tube back into the center. Sheila parted ways to head back home, but the rest of us continued to Trafalgar Square to see who would be on the 4th Plinth.

Instead we happened across the massive Diwali celebrations.

lots more people than it looks

We got to see the changing over of the 4th Plinth 'One and Other'- as we watched we saw a man in a kilt going on and joked about who would win in a competition between a bagpiper and the Indian music playing on loudspeakers. Then he pulled a bagpipe out of his case!

Here he is playing till he is blue in the face :)