THE CIRCUS WORKSHOP RETURNS TO TIDEFEST
Skinny Ringmaster – boss of the circus is looking for new recruits. Come learn how to do the tricks yourself in his amazing Circus Workshop! Try juggling, plate spinning, hula hoop, diablo, flower stick, unicycle, poi poi and stilts.
Sunday 14th September. 12 – 4pm. Free for kids!
Strand On The Green – Next to Kew Bridge
Find out for yourself some of the amazing creatures that live in the river with our fantastic river dipping sessions run by Thames 21 This is always a hugely popular activity is suitable for both adults and families with children. These will be walk up sessions from 12midday till 4.00pm. You can book online or just turn up on the day if you prefer. Boots are supplied. Just come on down and get dipping!
Cost: Free of Charge
Thames foreshore expert and community archaeologist Fiona Haughey will be leading two Foreshore Walks in the afternoon at 2pm and 3pm
The mud and gravel that makes up the Thames foreshore is quite literally littered with History. Every day amazing new objects from long are found as the mighty river constantly uncovers lost and discarded items from many centuries of settlements along it’s banks. From Roman jewellery to WW2 munitions the diverse rage of archaeological items discovered where the tide goes out is quite staggering. What’s more the buildings themselves and the man made structure that keeps the Thames within it banks (most of the time!) are also full of fascinating history.
As part of Thames Tidefest 2025 we will once again be running our 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 who knows what might be found ! If you like to attend then click the link below to book your space. The booking won’t cost anything, but we ask that you pay £5 per person in cash at the event on the day to cover costs.
Getting out on the water lets you see the Thames from a different perspective and allows you to get up close and personal with the rich diversity of flora and fauna that make London’s river their home. Our friends at Edge Paddling and the Chelsea Kayak Club will be running events for everyone to get involved.
Canoeing with Edge Paddling
Edge will run 2 1-hour Family canoe taster sessions (1-2 adults with up to 2 small children, or 1 adult with up to 2 teenagers) and a
2 hour return kayak taster session for over 18s. Full instruction provided, no previous experience necessary.
Times:
family canoe: 10:30 and 12:15
Kayak: 14:00
Cost: £12 per kayak, £10 per family canoe
family canoe tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/family-canoe-session-at-tidefest-2025-tickets-1545079477309
Kayak tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kayak-session-over-18s-only-at-tidefest-2025-tickets-1546324671719
Sea Kayaking with the Chelsea Kayak Club
CKC will run 90 minute sea kayaking beginner sessions, with land based instruction followed by a water based journey around Kew Bridge.
Times: 11.30-1pm; 1.30-3pm; 3.15-4.45pm
Cost: £12 pp
Stand Up Paddle Boarding is one of the countries fastest growing sports and it’s a brillinat way to get afloat on the Thames and see the river from a different perspective.
Our Friends at Active360 will be running four different paddle boarding activities during Tidefest
he River Thames is on the mend after decades of toxic overflow, neglect and mismanagement. Birdlife and marine life are returning to the river, with regular sightings of seals and even dolphins. However, the sustainability of the Thames is under threat from growing plastic pollution entering the river and threatening birdlife and contaminating marine life.
Join us for a paddle and river clean up heading out around the local islands at Low tide where we will be stopping along the way to pick litter from the foreshore, trees and the water. You must have some previous paddling experience to join this session as although guided it does not include a lesson. You can always join one of our group sessions to get some experience and learn the basics first.
This session is only suitable for adults children age 14+
These intro to safe paddling sessions start at our base in Kew Bridge on the tidal Thames. You will learn about SUP safety and navigation rules and this is a good starting point for any safe Tideway paddling whether you are looking to paddle independently, join a club or rent from us on the Thames.
We start with a safety briefing where we discuss tides, navigation rules and safety on the Tideway before heading out on the water – after a short on land lesson for anyone with little or no previous paddleboarding experience.
We will either be paddling up towards Old Isleworth/Richmond or down towards Barnes/Hammersmith – this depends on whether we are paddling around high or low tide. Both routes are rich in wildlife and history.
This stand up paddleboard session is suitable for beginners and adults of all abilities and ages. These sessions are only suitable for adults and children age 11+
Join us as for a Thames Natural History Tour, as we explore the wonderful wildlife of the River Thames. The river was once biologically dead, all life extinguished by industrial pollution, but since the 1970s wildlife has been returning, and thriving. And we’re on a mission to find it.
The Thames is now home to more than 125 species of fish, which in turn support two species of seal, deep-diving cormorants, stealthy grey herons and more. Stand up paddleboarding allows us to enjoy a unique perspective of the river’s wildlife, immersing ourselves in nature.
As we paddle, you will also learn about the natural history and ecology of the Thames, and the issues that still threaten this iconic waterway.
Not suitable for anyone under the age of 14yrs.
We will be paddling out with the last of the Ebb (Low) tide up towards Barnes stopping at the Ship Pub in Mortlake next to the Old Stag Brewery. We will stop for a refreshment break whilst waiting for the tide to turn. We will then glide back with the start of the Flood (High) tide.
This stand up paddleboard session is suitable for beginners and adults of all abilities and ages. The River Thames is a tidal river and so the conditions may not be suitable for participants under the age of 16. Please contact us directly if you would like to book a child onto your session. You will need to be able to swim and be confident in the water. Certain level of flexibility and ability to get up to standing from kneeling is required for learning to paddleboard.
This session will start and finish at our base inside Kew Bridge.
Angling Competition
Some of the top anglers in the south will be competing for the annual Tidefest Trophy at Strand on the Green, Chiswick and Barnes.
Even if you don’t want to fish, why not come down and watch.. there are some amazing fish to be caught from the Thames.
Tickets are £20 and available through theAngling Trust at – https://anglingtrust.net/competitions/tidefest-sunday-14th-september-2025/
Fishing is from 10.30am to 3.30pm and spectators are welcome for free.
What a few weeks it’s been for “London Mudlark” Lara Maiklem !
Her new book Mudlarking was chosen as Radio 4’s Book of The Week, was featured on Stanley Tucci’s Instagram and has gone straight into the Sunday Times Best Sellers Top 10. She has been a guest on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and BBC Breakfast and just about every radio station that could book her ! Social media loves her, the press are all writing about her and the Thames Tidefest Mudlark Walks sold out in a day.
But fear not ! you can still meet the woman herself, and buy yourself a signed copy of the book everyone is raving about at Thames Tidefest on September 8th. Lara will be signing books and chatting between 12.30pm and 1.30pm at Strand On The Green. To make the whole thing even more fabulous, we have managed to secure a discount on the cover price, so the books will be priced at £15.99 instead of the RRP of £18.99 ! So come along to the festival get yourself a bargain and get your chance to meet the most famous Mudlark in the world !
THE WEEKEND MILLIONAIRES – FILM
Tales from the Thames: An oral history of the Thames Lightermen.
As part of Thames Tidefest 2019 there will be a screening of “The Weekend Millionaires”. On September 8th. This fascinating 45 minute Documentary Film tells of the lives of the Thames Lightermen have operated the boats carrying cargo on the Thames with a history going back hundreds of years.
Listen to some of their stories as they reminisce and see amazing archive film of how the Thames looked in times gone by and about the work they did and how it’s changed.
Tickets cost Just £2 for adults and £1 for under 16’s
The film will be screened in The Babcock Room inside the London Museum of Water & Steam, just round the corner from Strand On The Green where the main Festival is located.
Book yours by clicking the button below
Get the chance to visit a Site of Special Scientific Interest not normally open to the public and take a walk guided by a local wildlife expert. 
Kempton Nature Reserve is a 50 acre wetland site, and used to be an operational reservoir. It is now a site of Special Scientific interest for wetland birds such as gadwall and shoveler.
Walk the circular paths and uncover the wildlife gems with local wildlife experts. In spring and summer the reserve’s main lake, meadows, ponds and woodlands comes alive with butterflies and dragonflies.
You might see swifts, a common sandpiper, little grebe or if you are lucky a kingfisher or a sparrowhawk. Plus pick up some tips from experience birders and spot some wonderful wetland birds from the bird hides at Kempton Nature Reserve in Hampton, not normally open to the general public!
The walks are FREE and will last 1.5hrs and you will be guided by local experts. Walks will start at 9.30am and 11.30am. To book please email jane.clarke@thameswater.co.uk
Always wished you could take better pictures ? Not sure what half the setting on your camera are for ? Maybe you just want to get the best out of your smartphone camera ? Jon Perry will be leading a fun and informative Photography walk as part of Thames Tidefest that will help you become a better photographer in a fun and relaxed way. With a maximum 8 people on each walk, Jon will have plenty of time to help you improve and get the most from your camera. All this and it only costs £5.00 per person !
For more information and to book your place just click the button below.
