Down by the river
By Clare Graham, Chair, Open Spaces Committee
Read about the first illuminated flotilla on the Thames in 300 years, and about how the long-awaited opening of Battersea Power Station has already given us a new section of Thames Path - and a new riverside park.
Some of the rowing boats of the Reflections flotilla, assembling at dusk below Battersea Bridge.
The Reflections Flotilla
It was a huge pleasure to stand on Battersea’s Thames Path beside Ransome’s Dock and watch the Thames Festival Trust Reflections Flotilla set off from Albert Bridge at dusk on Saturday 24 September. Designed as a tribute by the river community to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and the accession of King Charles III, this event also helped raise funds towards the construction of a new RNLI lifeboat station at Waterloo Bridge. Some 150 river craft of all types participated, decorated with white lights; this was the first illuminated flotilla on the Thames for over 300 years, apparently. It proved to be both a beautiful, dreamlike spectacle and an impressive feat of organisation.
The flotilla sets off under Albert Bridge. Beside Cadogan Pier royal rowbarge Gloriana's oarsmen, wearing the scarlet livery of past Doggett's Coat and Badge race winners, hold their illuminated oars upright in salute.
A right royal tribute
Royal rowbarge Gloriana was its centrepiece, and had been moored in preparation at Cadogan Pier, next to Albert Bridge. Other boats had been mustering upriver since early afternoon: powered craft between Battersea Road and Rail Bridges, and the rowers beyond them, downstream from Wandsworth Bridge. As dusk fell the decorations were all switched on, and at 18.50 we watched the flotilla set off promptly downriver. The illuminated oars used by some of the boats created an especially striking effect. Moving quite surprisingly fast, the flotilla soon disappeared from view on its way through central London. It was to pass under all seven of the bridges participating in the longterm Illuminated River project, relit for the occasion with a special display by lighting artist Leo Villareal. It finished at Tower Bridge, which had been bathed for the night in purple light, and was to be raised in a culminating salute as Gloriana arrived at 20.30.
Battersea Power Station: opening soon
Battersea Power Station and the Thames Path
Battersea Power Station itself may not have quite opened to the public yet, but we have been able to walk right round the outside since earlier this year. So now the south bank Thames Path’s continuous from Vauxhall Cross to Battersea Park, apart from two diversions around Thames Tideway/ Super Sewer works. Those continue at Heathwall Pumping Station and at Kirtling Street, just to the east of the Power Station.
Sprucing up the new park, ready for the opening of the Power Station on 14 October.
A new riverside park
The river front outside the Power Station has also been laid out as a new park. While this has some rather gimmicky, hopefully shortlived features, such as giant armchairs covered in plastic grass, the permanent planting and lighting are fortunately much more attractive and look to be settling in well. Meanwhile, we await the opening of the Power Station itself to the public this Friday, 14 October. That'll be almost forty years since this huge Grade II* listed building, which at its peak supplied a fifth of London's electricity, was decommissioned, back in 1983. Since then it has undergone many vicissitudes, and quite a few indignities; several owners later, it is set to provide a mix of apartments, offices, shops, restaurants and leisure facilities. The last will include a cinema and (from early 2023) LIFT 109, a 'glass elevator experience' designed to whisk visitors 109 metres up to the top of the building’s north west chimney, for panoramic views of the Thames and London's skyline. The fitout was still in progress when I took an advance tour with other Battersea Society trustees and committee members back in May; we were however impressed by the standard of finish already achieved, and by the restoration of the two former Control Rooms in particular.