Thames Tidefest 2018 is over for this year.
Tidefest will be back next year, so keep your eyes open for updates as we plan for Tidefest 2019 !
In the meantime, here are just some of the events we had at the 2018 event.
BOAT TRIPS & CRUISES
River Lea Heritage Cruise from Cody
Join the Gasworks Dock Partnership’s Heritage Cruise on a 2 hour tour to explore the rich industrial and waterways history of London’s River Lea. There will also be an exhibition in the Gasworks Gallery focusing on the River Lea and the Gardens and Cody Dock Cafe will be open as well.
Thames Cruise on the Windrush
Take a boat trip along the Thames. The River Thames Society is organising four hour-long boat trips around the Thames Tideway islands, leaving from Kew Pier on the historic Thames launch the “Windrush”. Guided commentary is included.
A guided boat trip and visit to Chiswick Pier and back aboard the Thames Discoverer.
Join Peter Finch – chairman of the River Thames Society, and an authority on the river, on guided river cruise aboard the magnificent Thames Discoverer. Peter will point out local landmarks throughout the trip.
At Chiswick Pier, you will see and hear about the work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, their boat and the equipment they use. The RNLI at Chiswick is a working lifeboat Station. If they have to respond to an emergency on the day, and are not available, then Peter will take you on a short walk to explore the delights of old historic Chiswick. The round trip will last just over an hour and is suitable for all ages.
Guided Walks, Tours & Adventures
Oliver’s Island Adventure
Come on a visit to this special place on the Thames – Oliver’s island at Strand on the Green – and hear about the long history and its current environmental importance. You will get to this secret island by kayak (provided) with kind permission of the PLA, who own the island, we are able to offer places for a limited number of visitors to this normally ‘out of bounds’ site for a series of archaeologist-led tours by Dr Fiona Haughey.
Talk & Walk at the Eel Pie Island Museum.
A 20-minute guided tour of the Museum which helped launch the careers of Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones and many others in the 1960s, followed by an illustrated Walk along the Embankment using archive photos to compare then and now. Participants are then welcome to come back to the museum to peruse the exhibits. This ticket will entitle you to membership and free access to the museum for one year and an Eel Pie Passport
Strand on the Green Foreshore Walk
Come and explore the Thames foreshore at Strand-on-the-Green with Lara Maiklem (aka London Mudlark) where you can find evidence of the ancient past right up to the recent present underneath your feet! Uncovered twice a day, the dynamic inter-tidal zone reveals its secrets so come and look for this ‘treasure’ before it erodes away.
Historic Boatyard Tour – Lots Ait
Come and discover Brentford’s best kept secret and learn about the importance of this small island on the Thames. Lots Ait is home to John’s Boat Works, the Two-Lipped Door Snail and a thriving community of boat dwellers. It was also a key location for the film ‘The African Queen’. Meet John and a former apprentice from the original boat yard and hear about Lots Ait’s amazing boat building history.
Low Tide River Wade in Deptford Creek
Join us for guided adventure in Deptford Creek for adults and accompanied children ages 9+. Wade in a wild river and experience a different perspective of London history and urban wildlife. Led by our conservationist with 30 years’ experience, we guarantee you some good, clean, muddy fun! The expeditions lasts about two hours. Participants need to be reasonably fit as you will be walking on the bed of a wild river. We provide waders, a waterproof and a walking stick and suggest you wear old clothes. Advance booking is essential.
Time: 10am-12pm
Meeting point: Creekside Discovery Centre, 14 Creekside, Deptford, SE8 4SA
Tickets: £12 adults, £10 seniors/students, £8 children Booking Details: BOOK HERE
Paddlesports
Kayaking and Canoeing with Edge Progressive Paddling
Edge Progressive Paddling are a membership club run by volunteers for the local community who will be organising a set of multi boat paddling sessions on the Thames near Kew Bridge. They have many types of boat and vessels and their qualified and experienced Level 1 and Level 2 coaches will make sure you get the right one for your session! Sessions will last for 45 minutes, catering for both individuals and families. Wear light clothing and old pair of trainers or shoes. Please arrive 15 minutes early to get kitted up with bouyancy aids and paddles.
There’s a dry bag to put your small possessions and we have changing rooms on site.
Venue: Kew Bridge Arch, Strand on the Green.
Times: 10am – 5pm
Ages 7+
Cost: FREE
Bookings. Just turn up on the day !
Stand Up Paddleboarding
SUP specialists Active 360 will be running pre-booked 50 minute supervised sessions at Kew Bridge from 9.30am for those new to paddleboarding, although all those under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. Lots of other events too.
Cost: £8 adults £4 under 18s (with parent)
Foreshore clean-up
9.00 – 10.00am. A £5 Paddle and Pick event including a short SUP lesson
Red Dragon Racing
3/4 people per board races between railway bridge and Kew Bridge for 16 people
Cost: £8
Paddleboard Trips
3 hr Eco tour and lesson 13.15-15.15pm. Chiswick Island and back.
Cost: £40
3 hr SUP trip and lesson 13.15-15.15pm.
Cost £40
2 hr Trip and lesson downriver to Barnes and back 14.00-16.00.
Cost: £30
Building the Thames Garbage Patch
Reusing plastic collected from the Thames for SUP building workshops. Followed by a race with boards made from waste plastic bottles to highlight the scourge of plastic pollution.
Cost: Free
Bookings Bookings: via Active 360 website
Contact: 020 3393 5360
Kayaking and Canoeing with Edge Progressive Paddling
Edge Progressive Paddling are a membership club run by volunteers for the local community who will be organising a set of multi boat paddling sessions on the Thames near Kew Bridge. They have many types of boat and vessels and their qualified and experienced Level 1 and Level 2 coaches will make sure you get the right one for your session! Sessions will last for 45 minutes, catering for both individuals and families. Wear light clothing and old pair of trainers or shoes. Please arrive 15 minutes early to get kitted up with bouyancy aids and paddles.
There’s a dry bag to put your small possessions and we have changing rooms on site.
Venue: Kew Bridge Arch, Strand on the Green.
Times: 10am – 5pm
Age: 7+
Cost: FREE
Bookings. Just turn up on the day !
Hogsmill Nature Reserve
Thames water are opening up their Hogsmill Nature Reserve at Surbiton for Tidefest. Come and along and enjoy:
* Bird watching with Surbiton District Bird Watching Society
* Meeting the Environment Trust volunteers from Berrylands Reserve
* Learning glass bee hive with Kingston Beekeeping Association
* Mosaic making with Swallow Mosaics
* Arts and Crafts & Face Painting
* Pond dipping
Venue: Surbiton Lagoon, Lower Marsh Lane KT1 3BW
Timings: 11am -3pm
Cost: FREE
Bookings: No need to book
Community Activities and Stalls at Strand on the Green
A whole range of free, family-friendly activities and displays will be available at the Strand-on-the-Green. Marquees on the riverside embankment will host displays on the Thames Tideway Tunnel, children’s activities and games, stalls run by river and environmental groups. The London Wildlife Trust will be there to talk about the capital’s wildlife and to sign up Dragonfly Detectives as part of an exciting new project to survey the capital’s rivers and ponds. There will be a charity stall run by WaterAid as well as live music, ice creams, refreshments and lots of information to take away.
Venue: Strand on the Green Embankment W4 3RE
Times: 10am to 5pm
Thames Water Marquee
Thames Water are organising some fun, interactive, craft activities to help you learn about the biodiversity of the river and why we need to protect it. They will be handing out freebies to help you to save water, energy and money, along with an opportunity to take part in the Network Challenge where you get to design your own water system.
Venue: Strand on the Green Embankment W4 3R
Foreshore Activities – River Dipping and Seine Netting
On the Foreshore at Strand-on-the-Green there will be children’s activities including river dipping, water testing and games designed to explain and increase understanding of what’s going on in the river run by the environmental charity Thames21. Alongside this will be seine netting supervised by ZSL and the Institute of Fisheries management to show you what lives in the Thames. The Environment Agency will have a fish tank displaying live fish from the river.
Venue: Strand on the Green Embankment W4 3RE
Times: River Dipping from 11am. Seine netting 1pm to 4pm
Cost: Free to all but bring your wellies
MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) Time Truck
The new MOLA Time Truck will be parked up next to Kew Bridge and hosting a rolling drop in demonstration of the Thames Water sponsored Cleaning up History education programme. This innovative activity includes hands on education around London’s sewers combined with the thrill of archaeological discovery. There will also be an opportunity to learn more about the Time Truck, MOLA’s ambitious outreach plans, and Thames Water’s education programme.
Venue: Kew Road (west of Kew bridge) W4 3NG
Times: 10am to 5pm
Booking: Just turn up
Cost: FREE OF CHARGE
Local Artists Tent
Steph Curtis-Raleigh will be joined by other local artists to celebrate art and the river. For a third year, there will be a river painting which is free for everyone to contribute to – young or old. The river will ‘flow’ during the day to be unveiled in all its glory at the end of Tidefest.
All visitors will have access to paper, paints, glitter, glue and other goodies to express themselves. We will run a competition and email a voucher to the best drawing of the day. This will allow us to use social media to post pictures of the paintings and to announce the winning one etc
Venue: Strand on the Green Embankment W4 3RE
Music at Tidefest
Duffy and Bird will be playing two sets in the Kew bridge Piazza to entertain visitors.
Their music features Al Bird on guitar and Tricia Duffy on vocals. 2 birds, 1 capo. Unique twists and interpretations of great tunes. Rock, pop, country and a bit of jazz.
12-3pm
Venue: Kew Bridge Piazza
Building the Thames Garbage Patch
Reusing plastic collected from the Thames for SUP building workshops. Followed by a race with boards made from waste plastic bottles to highlight the scourge of plastic pollution.
Cost: Free
Bookings Bookings: via Active 360 website
Contact: 020 3393 5360
Meet ‘Slurper’ the plastic straw monster at Strand on the Green
At Tidefest we all want to see a reduction in single use plastic so as part of the campaign to stop the plastic tide we have linked up with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and are challenging people to refuse plastic straws and help to persuade businesses to stop handing them out. Check out the last straw challenge at https://www.mcsuk.org/clean-seas/straws
MCS beach clean volunteers find thousands of plastic drinking straws around UK coasts annually, and millions of people have seen film footage of the harm they do to wildlife such as marine turtles.
People can also get involved with The MCS plastic challenge #GOplasticfree
Come along and show your support and have a photo with Slurper to share with your friends.
TIMES: 11am – 3pm
Venue: strand on the Green Foreshore
Bring boots or sturdy shoes
TideFest Discounts at London Museum of Water & Steam
Venue: Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, TW8 0EN
Times: 10am to 4pm
Cost: £8 adults, kids under 15 free
Contact: 020 8568 4757 or www.waternadsteam.org.uk
Richmond Row Boats – TideFest Discounts
Fancy something a little more energetic? Our friends at Richmond Bridge Boat Hire are offering £5 per person off the hire of their extensive fleet of rowing boats in exchange for a discount voucher . Check out their website at www.richmondbridgeboathouses.co.uk
This generous offer is restricted to one voucher person with a limit of 100 people in total. Each boat must contain at least one adult.
Just order a voucher above and print it off and bring it to the boathouse at Richmond Bridge
Times: Rowing boat hire from 10am to 7pm
Venue: Richmond Bridge Boat Hire, Bridge Boathouses, Richmond upon Thames,
Surrey. TW9 1TH