All posts by John Cheyne

2022 activities

Guided Walks and Adventures ! Book Here

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Helping people explore the River Thames and it’s amazing history is an integral part of the Thames Tidefest experience and this year is no different. We have some amazing guided walks and adventures for you to enjoy !

All our walks and adventures are listed on this page, so scroll right to the bottom to see the full choice.

Olivers Island Tours

A Unique opportunity to explore a secret Thames island !

Come and explore a secret island that is in full view as you walk along the towpath and yet out of sight. Oliver’s island is shrouded in mystery as well as trees and yet was a very important participant in the trading along the Thames over the past few hundred years. Come and see the view from its banks, explore its history both ancient and more recent, and hear about its environmental importance.

Your guide for the day will be local archaeologist Dr Fiona Haughey who will be leading 5 x 30 minute tours at:

9.00am

9.30am

10.00am

10.30am

11.00am

Meeting Point is the ramp By Kew Rail Bridge by Strand on the Green Sailing Club (between the City Barge and Bull’s Head pubs)

No children under 16 or unaccompanied minors.

Access to the island is by boat and steep steps and the surface is very uneven so it is not suitable for those with mobility issues and sensible footwear is important.

Transport to the island provided by Strand on the Green sailing club.

Sensible, waterproof footwear is recommended.

Cost £10 plus booking fee

Register on Eventbrite

Twickenham Riverside Heritage Walk and Visit to the Eel Pie Island Museum

Fantastic history tour and museum visit

Meet up at the Eel Pie Island Museum which covers the early careers of Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Bowie, Genesis and many other 1960’s stars and their links to the island. Staff will be on hand to talk about the exhibits.

Then setting off on your fully illustrated walk along Twickenham’s historic Arcadian riverside. Some of your stops along the way: Church St in the heart of the riverside village, the Embankment overlooking Eel Pie Island, Twickenham’s very own Naked Ladies, the 17th century White Swan Pub (time for a pint later!), and Orleans House Gallery, home to the borough’s art collection.

Twickenham’s very own Naked Ladies have quite a story !

Your walk will finish on the riverside opposite Ham House, next to Hammertons Ferry.

Participants are then welcome to return to the museum at any time during the day (the museum closes at 6pm).

Meet up at the award-winning Eel Pie Island Museum in central Twickenham

Meeting Point is Eel Pie Island Museum. 1-3 Richmond Road Twickenham TW1 3AB

Walks at 11.30am 1.30pm and 3.30pm

Max 18 people per walk

Cost £8 + booking fee.

Register on Eventbrite

Strand on The Green Foreshore Walk (Archaeology & History)

The highly popular Thames Foreshore guided walks will led by local archaeologist Dr Fiona Haughey who has worked on the Thames foreshore since 1993. Come along a witness the living history of London’s river.

Meeting point: head of the new river stairs by Kew bridge upstream side (off the Kew Bridge piazza)

Timings: Ist walk 14.30-15.30 2nd walk 16.00-17.00

Each group maximum number 20 in total. No unaccompanied children. Suitable for children aged 7yrs upwards, not any younger. Not suitable for those with mobility issues – steps, uneven underfoot, muddy areas. Suitable footgear for an uneven, muddy environment ie trainers/wellies/stout shoes. Gloves will be provided

(Only those able to show a PLA permit will be allowed to take anything away from the foreshore)

£5 per ticket. (plus booking fee)

Register on Eventbrite
2022 activities

PaddleSports at Tidefest 2022 – Book Here

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Paddlesports have always been an integral part of the Thames Tidefest experience. With our partners we offer a fantastic opportunity for people to try out canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding for themselves at a subsidised price. All our paddlesports events take place on September the 4th and are below, so scroll to the bottom to see all of your choices !

Kayak & Open Canoe Taster Sessions – September 4th

Run by the fantastic team at Edge Paddling, at Kew Bridge

If you’ve never been in a canoe or Kayak before this is your chance ! If you’ve had a go before and long to try it again, then this is for you too ! All sessions led by Edge Kayak

Sessions will begin every 30 mins and go on throughout the day from 11.00am till 3.00pm

There are four solo kayaks available for each session and two family canoes per session. (A family canoe can hold a maximum of two adults and two small children or one larger teenager and MUST contain at least one adult)

Kayaks – 1 person per kayak, all participants must be 16years +

If you fancy a go just book tickets below and be sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting a bit wet and sensible shoes. All equipment, including buoyancy aids will be supplied.

Qualified coaches will lead the groups and coaches reserve the right to assess the suitability of groups on the day.

Family Canoe costs £10 per session (plus booking fee)

Individual Kayak costs £5 per session (plus booking fee)

Register on Eventbrite

Sea Kayaking Taster Sessions

Chelsea Kayak Club are Offering 1hour 30min sessions as part of Thames Tidefest on September 4th 2022. Cost per person £10 per session Plus booking fee. Based at Kew Bridge.

Each session includes some tuition followed by a paddle in a single sea kayaks. You won’t get to paddle in the open ocean, but the beautiful river Thames is the next best thing, so book your tickets NOW !

OVER 18’s ONLY

We suggest wearing sports clothing and shoes that can get wet. 8 places available per session. Session timings:

*. 10.15 – 12noon

· 12noon – 1.30pm

· 1.45-3.15pm

· 3.30-5pm

Participants should be over 18 years of age, be able to swim 50 metres and come changed ready to paddle.

Register on Eventbrite

PADDLEBOARDING

Active 360 will be running their amazing Paddleboarding experiences once again !

Paddle board experts Active 360 be offering four taster sessions from the Kew Bridge Boating Arch, a downstream two hour natural history trip and a 90 minute paddle and litter pick.

Costs and Timings:

  • 45mins Taster Sessions – £10 pp at 11am, 12 noon, 1pm, 2pm
  • 90 min Paddle and Pick – £10

 – Natural History Tour – £30 from 2 – 4pm

–  Indoor paddlesport gym sessions.

Booking is via the Active 360 website at

Booking is via the Active 360 website HERE : https://cutt.ly/5ZlAn6j

2021 Update

Thames Fishing History Book signing

Dr David Solomon will be signing copies of his new book A History of Fish and Fisheries of the River Thames at Thames Tidefest on September 12th. You can come and meet the author and not only will he personally sign your copy of the book, but David is giving a £5 discount to every purchase made at the event. So come along to Strand On The Green on September 12th to get your copy and have a chat with the author.

The book itself describes the fascinating history of fish in the Thames, and the development of fisheries to catch them both for food and sport. It is lavishly illustrated with old engravings, maps and photographs, and contains a wealth of anecdotes and stories that will delight the angler, natural historian, historian and fishery professional alike. The author is both a lifelong angler and a fishery scientist, and he draws on his long experience in these fields for the background and material for this book.

Interesting stories include:-

· the numbers and price of each species of local freshwater fish used to feed Thomas Cranmer, former Archbishop of Canterbury, in the days leading up to his execution in Oxford in 1556 (pike were the most expensive);

· the long history of attempts to re-introduce salmon to the river (it held good numbers until the early 19th century);

· a thriving fishery for roach at London Bridge in the 18th century, and the interesting methods used to catch them;

· huge catches of barbel in Victorian times, made by groundbaiting with thousands of worms;

· the decline of the fishery for eels using traps and weirs

· the man with a lifetime catch of more than 800 Thames trout over 3 lb (including several of more than 10 lb). Details of availability will be found at www.fluvialbooks.com

2021 Update

London Mudlarker Lara Maiklem to hold book signing at this year’s Tidefest

London’s Mudlarker and best selling author, Lara Maiklem, will be at this year’s Tidefest on September 12th leading two foreshore walks and signing copies of her new book ‘A Field Guide to Larking’. This is a brilliant opportunity to meet the author and get your hands on a rare signed edition !

The book itself is a practical, interactive and inspiring guide to ‘larking’ – meaning to get out and about, to explore the world around us and to discover the little treasures hiding in plain sight. In this beautiful field guide, Lara teaches us how to lark for ourselves. There are maps and charts, tips and lists, and colour illustrations throughout to help identify finds. From tide tables for mudlarkers to a flint guide for fieldlarkers, this book is richly informative and yet small enough to pop in a pocket. Lara Maiklem has become synonymous with “Mudlarking” along the Thames foreshore and her first book, Mudlarking, was published in 2019 and quickly became a best seller.  

Lara’s two walks are already sold out but she is looking forward to meeting Thames enthusiasts at her book signing at the Strand on the Green Embankment between 12.00 and 1.30pm.

Lara says:

“Tidefest is my favourite river festival,  a proper chance to get hands on with the Thames in a beautiful setting.”

Tidefest is now in its 8th year and celebrates the recreational opportunities available on the River Thames in London withactivities for all the family. These include boats trips, paddle boarding, kayaking, foreshore walks, island visits, London’s biggest angling competition and much more.

Local wildlife organisations, river and environmental groups and community associations have been involved in organising  Tidefest since its inception in 2014. It is part of the month long Totally Thames Festival and is sponsored by Thames Water with support from the London Borough of Hounslow, Port of London Authority and the Environment Agency.

Visitors can enjoy river dipping with experts to discover what lives in the Thames or find some hidden corners with trips to the historic Oliver’s Island or the Eel Pie Island museum – celebrating the 60s music venue which saw the start of the careers of Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones.

Full details including ticket bookings can be found at www.thamestidefest.net and on our Facebook page.

Tidefest Chairman Martin Salter from the Angling Trust said:

“Tidefest is now a well-established annual event with a loyal band of followers who turn out every year.  It is an event which aims to help reconnect Londoners with their river and we do this by getting into and onto the water through a whole range of educational and recreational activities. I’m so pleased that Lara Maiklem is joining us once again to give us the benefit of her great knowledge of the history of this wonderful river that has enhanced and sustained our capital city for generations.  Please put September 12th in your diary and visit our website to find out what the River Thames has to offer.”

                                                         Come and Enjoy the River!

What's On

Free Events & Fun For ALL The Family

One of the brilliant things about Thames Tidefest is the atmosphere that is generated around Kew Bridge and Strand On The Green during the event. It’s absolutely joyful !

There are a whole host of stalls set up with free events and things of interest including The Zooligical Society of London, The Environment Agency and The RNLI . Plus there are free events to get involved with too, including Circus Skills workshops, River Dipping and much, much more. We will keep updating this page as we get more attractions confirmed.

So Get the date in your diary now and make sure you are down at Strand On The Green on September 12th or you will miss out on all the fun !

2021 Update

The Date is set ! September 12th 2021

Tidefest is a celebration of the recreational importance of London’s river and will involve a range of other activities designed to get people out and enjoying what the Thames Tideway has to offer. The groups involved in organising this year’s event include the London Wildlife Trust, Thames Angler’s Conservancy, Thames 21, The River Thames Society, ZSL and the Angling Trust. Other activities planned include foreshore walks, river dipping, seine netting, paddleboarding, sailing, kayaking and historical walks along the Thames Path. As soon as we have more details of the booking procedures for this years event, we will let you know !

News

2021 Angling Championship to be dedicated to the late Mike Martin-Davies

Following the announcement Tidefest will be held on Sunday 12th September 2021 we are pleased to confirm that the 2021 Thames Tidefest Angling Championship will once again be run in co-operation with The Angling Trust.

All the ticket monies will once again be donated to the kids angling charity Get Hooked on Fishing and the tickets are on sale from March 11th. This year’s trophy will be dedicated to the memory of Mike Martin-Davies, the talented Welsh match angler and three times Tidefest winner who sadly died of Coronavirus in January. It will be engraved with his name.

Mike with Keith Arthur celebrating one of his three Tidefest wins.

Now in its eighth year, the 40 peg match, which is sponsored by Thames Water, once again has generous pay outs with a first prize of £500. It is expected to attract some of the region’s top river anglers as previous matches have thrown up big bags of bream. Last year’s match was notable for the number of quality roach caught in the latter stages of the tide. All fish, with the exception of eels, can be weighed in.

The match is being held on two areas of gravel foreshore from Kew Bridge down to Barnes. Two sections will be on the left bank at Strand on the Green and two on the right at Barnes. The four main prizes will spread across the two zones to make for the fairest possible outcome.

Angling columnist and Thames specialist Keith Arthur welcomed the news saying:

“This year’s Tidefest Angling Championship, Covid permitting, looks like being the fairest yet. With shoals of roach catching contestants by surprise last year, 2021 could see the match won with redfins instead of the perennial bream. We will miss the angling brilliance of Mike, stolen from us by the vile disease, but with the match in his honour we will all be able to reflect on his loss and remember him how he would have wished.”

Angling Trust’s Martin Salter added:

“The Angling Trust is pleased that the lifting of lockdown restrictions will allow the Tidefest Angling Championship to take place again this year and it is appropriate that we honour the memory of Mike Martin-Davies at the same time.

“The competition is now firmly established as a popular event in the match fishing calendar and showcases what great fishing there is to be had right in the heart of London.

“We are committed to continuing to attract match anglers back to river fishing whilst at the same time highlighting the importance of cleaning up our urban rivers through schemes such as the Thames Tideway Tunnel. We are especially grateful to Thames Water for their generous sponsorship which means that once again all the ticket money will be going to support the fantastic work of the charity Get Hooked on Fishing that does so much to help youngsters get into our sport.”

Will Barnard, Angling Development Manager at Thames Water added:

“Thames Water is delighted to be sponsoring the 2021Tidefest including the much anticipated annual angling competition which is helpful in assessing the health of the river. In recent years our large sewage treatment works upstream at Mogden has benefitted from a multi-million pound upgrade which has delivered big improvements to the general water quality and with the Tideway Tunnel we will see an end to the damaging storm water incidents.”

Match Details:
40 peg Thames Tideway Angling Championship with £500 First Prize plus pools and trophy
Date and Time:
Sunday September 12th. Fishing 9.00am – 2.00pm (depending on tide)
Draw:
7.00am Strand on the Green, Kew Bridge London W4 3RE
Tickets on sale from March 11th from:
Tackle Up – 151 Fleet Road, Fleet GU51 3PD. Tel 01252 616129
To book tickets online go to – anglingtrust.net/competitions/tidefest-2021/ or tel: 0115 822 4519
Tickets:
£20 all in – £15 pools plus £5 ticket – proceeds to Get Hooked on Fishing
Prizes:
1st place – £500; 2nd – £400; 3rd – £200; 4th – £100. (Spread over two zones)
Plus £50 per 5 peg section.

News

Tidefest 2021 announced !

Thames Tidefest is now in its eighth year and is a celebration of all that the River Thames has to offer. It aims to help Londoners reconnect with their river and is a day packed with loads of great activities for all the family. We are delighted to announce that Tidefest will be held on September 12th, so get the date in your diaries.

We are taking things one step at a time at the moment with regards to our usual full programme of events, but we certainly intend to put on a fantastic selection of events in line with whatever restriction are in place as we get to September. Expect to be thrilled by ‘mudlark’ style archaeology, guided walks, canoeing, paddleboarding, fishing, and a whole host of activities which showcase the Thames’s amazing history and wildlife.

2021 Update

Free Fun For Kids

As always there will be a whole host of free and low cost events for all the family. As soon as we have more information about this years event you will find it right here ! In the mean time take a look at kids enjoying the day at previous events…

photo credit Anna Kunst