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 !
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.
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.
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…
One of the main themes of Thames Tidefest is celebrating the history London’s magnificent river. We run, exclusive guided tours of amazing places, guided history walks, archaeology events and so much more. We will have full details of the History events that will feature at Tidefest 2021 soon, but until then here’s a look at some amazing pictures form past events.
Lara Maiklem signs copies of her best selling Mudlarking book at Thames TidefestHistory in Practice at the London Museum of Water & Steam
Paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking has become an essential part of the Thames Tidefest experience. There a few better ways to enjoy the river so why not book one of the Thames Tidefest Taster Sessions being run by Active 360 and Edge Paddling or take part in one of the Active 360 Paddleboard Natural History Tours ! More details on how to book soon !
This year’s Thames Tidefest has been reduced in scale to comply with the government’s coronavirus regulations and to keep everyone safe. There will be no stalls, food or live music and all activity events are to be pre-booked either online or at the information tent on the day. Hand sanitisers and wipes will be available and social distancing rules will be applied. However there will still be lots of happy smiling faces and a chance to enjoy the beautiful tidal Thames.
How you can help: Please help us keep everybody safe by bringing your own masks – for use where appropriate- and adhering to instructions on our signage. Do not attend if you, or anyone you have been in contact with, in the last 14 days has had any Covid-19 symptoms. Please adhere to social distancing and try to keep no less than 2 metres away from anyone who is not from your household or support bubble. Most of all please be curteous to others and have fun.
Following the easing of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions Thames Tidefest 2020 will be happening on Sunday September 6th at Strand on the Green, Chiswick. However, to help keep everyone safe, all events in our reduced programme will have to be pre- booked.
Tidefest is now in its 7th year and celebrates the recreational opportunities available on the River Thames in London with activities for all the family. These include paddle boarding, kayaking, foreshore walks, island visits, London’s biggest angling competition and much more.
Put the date in your diary and find out what the River Thames has to offer.
Full details including ticket bookings will be on this website SOON
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. Number have been limited this year to allow social distancing.
Transport by guided Kayak’s
Times: 09.00 Group 1; 09.30 Group 2; 10.00 Group 3; 10.30 Group 4; 11.00 Group 5.
Meet: Kew Rail bridge ramp – under the railway bridge and between City Barge and Bull’s Head pubs.
Conditions:
Each group will consist of 6 people
The trips are unsuitable for those under 16 and for those with mobility issues..
Please wear suitable footwear such as boots or trainers.
