HM the Queen Visits Bushy Park Waterworks: Bringing You up to Date on Recent Events
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Watermark The Newsletter of the Thames Landscape Strategy, Hampton to Kew Issue 13 Summer 2002 INSIDE HM The Queen Visits Bushy Park Waterworks: Bringing you up to date on recent events ............................... 2/3 Feature: Arcadia in the City .............. 4/5 Feature: Walking the Thames .............. 6 HM The Queen's visit to Bushy Park: A full story including pictures .............................7 The Vista from King Henry's Mound. .......8 This issue of Watermark is sponsored by the The Environment Agency is responsible for water management throughout the Angela Mason Thames catchment and is a major Thames Landscape Strategy Co-ordinator: Jason Debney and Arcadia in the City funding partner of the Thames Project Officer: Ken MacKenzie describe the Strategy's work to HM TheQueen Landscape Strategy. On June 25th HM The Queen visited West London as part of her Golden Jubilee As part of the ongoing management of celebrations. During the visit she attended a ‘Picnic in the Park’ hosted by the Royal the river the Environment Agency Parks Agency in the magnificent surroundings of Bushy Park. More than 40,000 launched an exciting initiative 'Thames members of the public joined in the celebrations that included an events arena, Ahead'. This is to promote the Thames displays, bands and a variety of stalls and exhibitions. One of the main attractions was for walkers, boaters and visitors, seeking the 'Jubilant Thames' enclosure organised by the Thames Landscape Strategy. HM to improve facilities through The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were piped ‘aboard’ by the Sea Cadets and collaboration with other organisations. Sea Scouts and spent twenty minutes in the enclosure escorted by TLS Co- Quite simply, their aim is to manage the ordinator, Jason Debney. The display included a large gathering of traditional Thames as the best inland waterway in Thames craft, live otters and an exhibition detailing the Queen's new barge currently the country. Find out much more in the being built in Richmond. For much more information about this glorious occasion next edition of Watermark. please turn to page 7 of Watermark. Arcadia in the City Launched This summer the remarkable view from renaissance of this most Richmond Hill has been protected by Act special stretch of London’s of Parliament for 100 years. In celebration, river. In May, the Thames a group of local and national organisations Landscape Strategy and the has joined together to mark the occasion London Borough of with a series of events and a programme Richmond submitted a £2.5M of landscape, access and nature Heritage Lottery Fund bid. r conservation enhancements on and below To celebrate this considerable Richmond Hill totalling millions of pounds. achievement a series of Brought together by the Thames events was held on May 31st. David Arche Landscape Strategy, ‘Arcadia in the City’ To find out more please turn hopes to initiate the first stage in a real to the centre pages. The view from Richmond Hill showing the new commemorative plaque. 2 Watermark Issue 13 Summer 2002 Waterworks Bringing you up to date with progress on the Thames Landscape Strategy A Royal Shallop for the Jubilee Aspects of Richmond associated public open spaces include new On the 20th June 'The Richmond Song pedestrian links to the Market Place and Folk' staged a memorable evening at St. a lovely piazza lined with cafes and bars. Thomas Aquinas Hall in Ham. As an The design includes a Thameside official 'Arcadia in the City' event the boardwalk over a specially created performance included many traditional reedbed and a new footbridge across the songs that have a connection with the mouth of the Hogsmill River (including river and the view from Richmond Hill. floating reedbeds). The vista between Many of the songs were written or the Thames and the Guildhall has been adapted specially for the evening including framed by adjacent development. 'Rambling round Richmond' and 'Station Songs'. The Thames Landscape Strategy would like to thank the Richmond Song Folk and in particular Val Glynn for organising such a marvellous event. Thames Strategy Kew to Chelsea Yet another landmark event regarding Mark working on the new Royal Shallop the future protection of the River Thames took place earlier this summer with the Local boat builder Mark Edwards of launch of the Thames Strategy Kew to Richmond Bridge Boathouse has been Chelsea. The event took place at the commissioned to build a new Royal Wildlife and Wetland Centre in Barnes Shallop, to be called (at HM The Queen's and the document was officially launched request) 'The Jubilant'. She is to be a by Government Minister Nick Rainsford. replica of the Lord Commissioners Barge Already the Thames Landscape Strategy currently on display in Somerset House Champion Ken! and the Kew to Chelsea Strategy are and a part of the National Maritime Arcadia in the City Project Officer Ken planning to work with each other on Museum's collection. The Shallop will MacKenzie won the J24 UK National many projects in the London Borough of have special design features to Sailing Championship earlier this summer Hounslow particularly in Brentford Kew.. accommodate disabled rowers in the in Falmouth. Ken has sailed most of his crew, which will be a unique feature of life in Vancouver, Canada but had not this ceremonial craft. sailed once in UK since moving here 3 years ago. Ken said, “I was lucky to get The Shallop will be administered by the on the boat as I just sent an email after Jubilant Trust, a charity which has been reading about the fleet and was invited set up for that purpose, to provide out. It was hard work but I was thrilled sporting and recreational opportunities that all 5 crew pulled together to win. throughout the season for people with For 3 of the days the winds were really disabilities as well as those from honking which resulted in some disadvantaged backgrounds who have ROYAD bloodcurdling moments on the course! never had the opportubity to enjoy One thing I learned is that we won with Enjoying a well deserved break to check the TLS cycle two of the crew turning 70 years this rowing activities. guide year. So that should be an inspiration to Country Cycle & Towpath Walk The Thames Traditional Rowing everyone to get involved and I cannot On Sunday 19th May a country cycle and Association will introduce the 'Jubilant' think of a better way than participating towpath walk was organised by a small onto the Thames on Saturday 14th on one of our river clean-ups!” group of ROYAD members using the September at a special event called 'The TLS 'Cycle Guide' to make their way Ken's yacht 'Stouche' crossing the finishing line Celebration of Time'. The Jubilant will from Kingston to Hampton Court. All be rowed with a flotilla of craft from the participating cyclists received a free copy Kew Meridian in Isleworth to Greenwich of the cycle pack and a certificate of for a picnic in Greenwich Park on the hill achievement for completing the course. under The Royal Observatory. All are welcome to join in. Kingston's New Riverside Quarter The recently completed Charter Quay To find out more please contact: development at Kingston has opened an The Jubilant Trust, 202 Lambeth important town centre stretch of the Road, London SE1 7JW. Thames Path along Kingston's river. The Summer 2002 Watermark Issue 13 3 Waterworks Bringing you up to date with progress on the Thames Landscape Strategy Teddington Lock Enhancements Linking the James River with Old Even more similar are the constant The Thames Landscape Strategy has Father Thames pressures of inappropriate teamed up with the Environment development, conflicts between Agency, Richmond Council, The recreation and conservation and the Teddington Society and the Waterways need to manage views of the river. Trust to investigate major enhancements to the area of river around Teddington Much of the day to day work carried Lock. Plans are at a very early stage at out along the James River is present and there is still considerable work undertaken by volunteers who to do but if successful the work could construct slipways, litter pick and coincide with the 100th Anniversary of maintain riverside trails. Jason's visit the opening of the Barge Lock. coincided with a special walk along one of these new trails. The trail tells TLS Co-ordinator on the James River Annual Meeting the story of the slave trade in More than 220 TLS friends and partners In February, the TLS Co-ordinator was Richmond, taking the walker from the packed the King's Room at the Royal Star invited to Virginia as part of the on-going site of the original wharf where the and Garter Home in December for the 'sister city' partnership between slave ships unloaded their human cargo 2001 Annual Meeting. The evening Richmond upon Thames and Richmond along the river to the heart of the included two guest speakers: Dylan Virginia. The delegation included: downtown area to the site of one of Hammond, Director of the London String Richmond Mayor Eleanor Stanier and the first Afro-American schools in of Pearls and Sir Roy Strong, President of Anne Partington-Omar, Property the States. A former pupil of the the Garden History Society. Sir Roy Manager of Ham House. During the visit school became the first elected Afro- reminded the audience of the importance Jason stayed with Ralph White who is American to the US Senate. From of focusing on the 'ordinary' as well as Director of the James River Project, an slavery to Senate, the 'slave trail' has the grand whilst carrying out conservation organisation established to manage the been developed in partnership with projects.