by Andrew Newman A


Thames Clipper river boat crashed into the


Tower Millennium Pier on 5 October. It must have given the landing stage a vicious clout because 14 people were injured, some quite badly.


And to think that only a short time before that incident I had ridden aboard a sister craft, and marvelled at the dexterity of the docking, and the inch perfect bowline lassoing of bollards while still on the


Old Father Thames may have been London’s main east- to-west arterial traffic route going right back into history, but nowadays bus, tube, or taxi take the load.


It’s true, there is some commuting on the river. Insurance people living in places like Richmond and Putney often use the Thames to get to their offices in the West End or the City, but the river doesn’t always spring to mind for the ad hoc journey.


That’s particularly true in the mind of those members of the Sadder but Wiser Club who tried to follow the venue instructions for the first BIBA Conference ever to be held in London’s Docklands. Arrival at the pier at London Bridge to catch a promised series of regular interval river buses was greeted with an unfriendly “Rush Hour Service Only” notice. The troupe of delegates were left with no alternative but to place themselves at the mercy of the Docklands Light Railway (this being before the Jubilee Line extension was constructed).


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Talking of construction, in the last recession the building lobby put forward a grandiose plan to build a tunnel along the length of the Thames. This would have given them some lucrative employment for several years - especially with all those bends in the river. As it turned out, they need not have bothered. The skyscraper office boom ensures that London remains a permanent building site, and looks set to do so for some years to come.


move. It would appear that the 100% professionalism displayed on the lower deck was not matched by a similar commitment up on the bridge.


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The opportunity to follow in the wake of historical Royal journeys up the Thames from Westminster to Greenwich occurred recently thanks to the invitation from heritage insurer


Ecclesiastical to attend their key partner event held at the former Royal Naval College at Greenwich, as reported herein on page 7.


Rather than leaving us to the mercies of the


Docklands Light Railway or a taxicab, the organisers came up with the brilliant idea of meeting up at Embankment Pier and bussing everyone in by river. And very enjoyable it was. A nice touch too, when you remember that most events tend to leave guests to their own devices to get to the venue.


The only similar service recalled is the time when another host arranged for their guests to be met at their respective London pick- up points and whisked off to the venue as a pillion passenger on a Virgin motorbike taxi. Very exhilarating!


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The Thames Clipper river boat accident mentioned at the outset reminds that any


in association with:


by Andrew Newman


hospitality host is always on tenterhooks against this sort of incident occurring during their event. This nightmare that event organisers face is very familiar to yours truly, having been blessed with this role in a former life. Taxis that don’t turn up,


entertainment that falls short, coach drivers who don’t know the way, cold plates in the hot buffet - and traffic accidents, either on land or water. Threats that all have to be lived with.


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There was one more treat in the aforementioned invitation from Ecclesiastical. Besides the river trip and the Greenwich visit there was also an option to take tickets to attend the Greenwich Comedy Festival. This unfortunately had to be declined due to ‘last train’ syndrome. Having travelled up the river in a more or less timeless manner, it’s always strange that the ‘overland’ journey back from


Docklands seems to take a lot longer than the river trip the other way. The enforced abstention was all thanks to the last train for home leaving at 11.30pm. Whatever happened to the so called all-night ‘milk’ trains’?


NOVEMBER 2011 insurancepeople 33


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