Putney through central London to Tower Bridge by kayak as day turns to night
10 November 2016,
Our journey began at Barn Elms which is slightly up river from Putney Bridge and is where the kayaks are kept. As we got into our little boats hailstones pounded the water - and us. I was paddling with my friend Rick Stanton, a cave explorer who, in the last few years, has become a dedicated paddler, he lives in Coventry and took a train to London for the day. The aim of this journey was to photograph the Thames from Putney through Central London to Tower Bridge, while day turned to night. Our journey took us past houseboats, two power stations both currently being redeveloped as flats, beneath 20 London Bridges, past the Houses of parliament, the London Eye and onto HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge.
The sun was setting as we reached Albert Bridge and as day turned into night a large moon appeared brightly above the Shard. We stopped for a five minute break on the beach at Tower Bridge for some hot Ribena before paddling back to Barn Elms with the incoming tide on an inky black river.