Author: Leigh Hatts

The Big Allotment Challenge is back on BBC2 and again filmed in the walled garden of Mapledurham House.

Mapledurham is across the river from the Thames Path upstream of Purley.

This year 2015 sees several anniversaries but for the Thames it is a special year in which to remember ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

It is just over 150 years ago that Charles Dodgson took ten year old Alice Liddell and her sisters on a boat trip upstream from Oxford’s Folly Bridge to a picnic at Godstow.

The date was Friday 4 July 1862 and it was two years before Dodgson wrote out the story he told on the trip. The publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland under the name Lewis Carroll came in 1865.

The actual publication date is probably early December 1865 since the first print run was held back after illustrator John Tenniel objected to the print quality.

Royal Mail is issuing special stamps and there are big plans for celebrations in Oxford on 4 July this year which is a Saturday.

This year of 2015 will see many Magna Carta anniversary events along the River Thames.

The site of the sealing of the charter is of course Runnymede.

But the barons had been plotting and negotiating with King John at The Temple in the City of London where there are anniversary events.

Another focus for the 800th anniversary year is Barnes wehre Archbishop Langton stopped off on his way back from Runnymede to consecrate the parish church.

On the actual anniversary day of Magna Carta there will be a service at St Mary’s Barnes where the preacher is Archbishop’s Langton’s successor Rowan Williams.

But has Barnes chosen the right day? It seems that Archbishop Langton, who secured the King’s agreement to the charter on Trinity Monday 15 June 1215, probably stayed another week as post agreement negotiations continued until Friday when the barons renewed their homage to the King.

So the consecration at Barnes could have been on Saturday 20 June with the Archbishop reaching his home in Lambeth in the evening.

At Barnes the anniversary year of lectures and other events begins with a visit by the Bishop of Southwark on 1 February.

In June a three day walk is planned from Runnymede to Barnes. A few days earlier villagers from Odiham in Hampshire, where King John set out for Runnymede on Wednesday 10 June 1215, will be walking to the Magna Carta site by the Thames.

The plan to improve the Thames Path just upstream of Maidenhead Bridge has been downgraded after much discussion and false starts.

The garden wall at Bridge View in Ray Mead Road will be dismantled and rebuilt a little back from the road to give enough space for a footpath.

The idea of diverting the path back on to the original line of the towpath has been abandoned.

The new plan will be considered by the Maidenhead Council planning committee in the New Year.

The statues of Dr Alfred Salter, his wife Ada and their daughter Joyce can now be seen on Bermondsey Wall East.

Three years ago Dr Salter was stolen leaving his daughter and the family cat by the river wall.

The original artist Diane Gorvin has recreated the statue and  added his wife to the group.

Ada was Bermondsey’s first woman mayor and, according to Southwark Council Leader Peter John, her statue is the first of a female politician in London.

Dr Salter was the local MP and medical doctor.

A report of the unveiling is on the SE16 website.

The Salter family statues can be found next to The Angel pub.

On Tuesday evening 11 November Lambeth planning committee will consider the application to build the Garden Bridge.

A lot of people, including London Assembly member for Lambeth & Southwark Val Shawcross, have lodged objections.

When bridge supporters addressed the South Bank Forum earlier this year there were many doubters in the hall.

‘Why spoil the world famous view from Waterloo Bridge of St Paul’s?’ was just one question from a local resident.

But there was consternation at the proposers’ claim that the bridge would bring regeneration and increase tourism to the South Bank.

Many think that there has been too much regeneration and there are too many visitors. The nearby Tate Modern is the most visited museum in Europe.

The Corporation of London’s planning committee has received a report confirming that the view of St Paul’s Cathedral from the South Bank’s riverside path would be lost.

The north bank falls under the City of Westminster which will also have to consider the proposal.

The Millennium Bridge was controversial but won approval for being minimilist and so not blocking any views.

The Garden Bridge, to be partly funded by on site private parties, will not be open to the public 24 hours.

A wide expanse of water is an important element which should not be lost without careful consideration.

Eel Pie Island has announced that its annual December open days will be over the weekend Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December;  10.30am-5.30pm.

Lots of crafts will be for sale including pottery, cartoons, paintings, prints and jewellery.

The island is accessed by footbridge from the Twickenham bank.

It will, as now, be full moon with dramatic tides. The high tides are due in the afternoon and may reach the footbridge. Some Wellingtons will be available to borrow but best to bring your own.

The swing bridge at the mouth of Deptford Creek is in place on the Greenwich bank.

The landing on the Deptford side will be in front of Munure’s Turkish cafe which has tables outside.

Installation work continues on both sides.

Drop for a drink at The Perch if you are next on the Oxford’s Port Meadow towpath before Christmas.

The 17th-century thatched pub is going to close in the New Year and not reopen until Easter.

It has had lots of unexpected setbacks including being badly damaged by fire in 1977 and 2007. Earlier this year it was flooded.

But this is a planned closure.

“Although there will be a bigger dining area, people will still be free to sit by the fire with a pie and a pint,” says manager Martin Cooper.

The Princess Royal has officially opened the newly redoubled railway line from Kemble to Swindon.

This is an important transport link for those who will arrive at the station having completed the walk from London. The station is very handy for the Thames Source but in recent years many have had a long wait in the lovely station.

On Friday Her Royal Highness arrived at Kemble on a train at the early hour of 9am. There was plenty of Network Rail and First Great Western staff on the platform to greet the Princess and her husband Sir Tim Laurence.

“Now that work on the line is complete, passengers can look forward to fewer delays and reduced journey times in the future,” said Network Rail’s Western Route managing director Patrick Hallgate.

First Great Western’s managing director Mark Hopwood said: “This improvement work to the network infrastructure paves the way for faster, more reliable services.”

The project cost £45m.