Waverley Paddlestreamer - Whitstable to Tower Bridge 7 October

Above: After a brief pause in the centre of the Thames, Tower Bridge is raised.... just for us and the Waverley. Assisted by a tug, the vessel is then able to make its way into the Pool of London. 

For ships of any size, the Pool is the highest point of navigation on the Thames. This is because the next bridge (seen in the distance) is London Bridge which, contrary to opinions in America, has a fixed span!!!! ;-)

One of the problems with entering The Pool of London at 5 pm on a Thursday is that the authorities aren't to keen to let you out in a hurry. During "rush hour", Tower Bridge is an important route across the river and, to avoid bringing The City to a halt, the Waverley is forced to wait half an hour before re-emerging. Of course, Waverley's passengers aren't unduly concerned as there is much to see on the banks.

Above and Below: The massive World War II cruiser, HMS Belfast, has a permanent home in the Pool of London. The ship and its 900 crew saw action on the Russian convoy runs and helped to provide the bombardment of enemy positions in France during the D-Day landings.

Incidentally, the skyscraper under construction in the background below is the Shard London Bridge building. This is destined to surpass its competitors in both the City of London and Canary Wharf by reaching a height of 1017 ft. It will then be the tallest building in the European Union.  

Above and Below: Adjacent to Tower Bridge on the North East corner of the Pool of London, we have one of the World's most famous landmarks - The Tower of London. Sadly, part of it is currently undergoing maintenance work and two turrets are swathed in protective sheeting

Above: At the western end of the perimeter wall of the Tower lies,  arguably the world's most famous entrance - Traitors Gate. Inmates were brought by boat to this entrance. It is now only used for England football managers.

Below: A far more civilised and dignified landing in the Pool of London can be accomplished a few yards further west - at Tower Millennium Pier. As you can see the north bank has been largely redeveloped in recent decades. This took place somewhat earlier than renovations on the south side of the river - possibly because of its  proximity to the City of London - the buildings of which can be seen in the background. 

Above: The south side of the Pool has also been redeveloped and, as this was accomplished later than the north bank, the buildings are arguably more sensitive to the locality. Even during my time as a Whitstable-to-London commuter, the south bank was marked by derelict wharves and warehouses. In fact, the whole area stretching south from the river bank to London Bridge station was somewhat run down.   

Below: A modern mall on the south bank.

Above: In the South East corner of the pool lies this curious building. It is City Hall - offices of the Mayor of London (currently Boris Johnson) and the GLA (Greater London Authority)