50 peg Open – £1000 prize money plus pools and trophy
Sunday September 8th. 11.30am to 4.30pm – draw 8.30am
Strand on the Green, Kew Bridge London W4 3RE
We will be fishing three zones; the gravel foreshore downstream of Kew Bridge on the north bank, and below Chiswick road bridge and Barnes railway bridge on the south. In all sections there are large shoals of roach, dace and bream. Waders are essential and wading up to thigh depth is allowed within the confines of your peg. All species can be weighed in except eels.
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
Enjoy an amazing Heritage cruise on the River Lea
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.
All aboard the Windrush for a magical Thames Cruise !
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.
The beauty of the River Thames and the knowledge of Peter Finch..what a great trip !
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
London Museum of Water & Steam is home to magnificent collection of steam pumping engines.
Based at the historic Kew Bridge Waterworks, the London Museum of Water & Steam tells the story of London’s water supply, the site, its people and the water pumping engines that helped make London the city it is today. This great independent museum by Kew Bridge is offering a special TideFest package where all kids under 15 years get in free of charge and adults receive a special £8.00 rate by quoting TideFest or presenting a TideFest programme.
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,
It’s back and it’s bigger and better than ever ! Tidefest ’18 will be held on September 2nd and it’s set to be even more spectacular than last year !
TideFest is fast becoming one of the most popular annual events in London. The River Thames event which took place for the first time in 2014 to highlight the recreational importance of the Thames to Londoners and to encourage people to ‘enjoy the river’. TideFest 2018 takes place at Strand-on-the-Green in Chiswick and at Brentford, Barnes and other locations along the Thames Tideway, as part of the month long Totally Thames festival.
A wide range of activities have been planned from 9am to 7pm on Sunday 2nd September at either free or heavily subsidised rates including:
Tidesfest Fishing Match
Canoeing
Stand-Up Paddleboarding
Sailing
Boat trips
Secret Island Visits
Archeological walks
Historical Tours
Have a go activities
Eco events
And much, much more !
Activities and events will be available to book online soon.
Following the hugely successful 2015 event, we are proud to announce that the date for a bigger, better, 3rd Thames TideFest Angling Championship has been announced. The prestigious event, organised by the Angling Trust and Thames Water, will be held on Sunday, September 11th, 2016 on the tidal Thames in London.
The match will extend upstream to Ham, an area renowned for big bags of dace and bream, in addition to the existing sections at Strand on the Green at Kew and downstream at Barnes. With just 20 pegs in each zone, anglers will have a lot more room between pegs.
As well as the pools payouts the competitors will share £1,000 in prize money, split over the three zones, thanks to sponsorship from Thames Tideway Tunnel and Thames Water. All ticket monies will be donated to the angling charity Get Hooked on Fishing.
Martin Salter, Keith Arthur and Will Barnard with a cheque for the ‘Get Hooked on Fishing” charity, raised at Tidefest 2015
Despite bright sunny conditions and low flows the river fished well in this year’s match and bream to 7lbs showed throughout, together with some huge dace at Strand on the Green and some quality roach at Barnes.
Andriks Lekstutis took first place with 31lbs 13ozs of slabs from just below Kew railway bridge at Strand on the Green while Tackle Up proprietor Nigel Newport from Fleet in Hampshire recorded the top weight at Barnes of 21lbs 8ozs
Tidefest Angling Champion 2015 Andriks Lekstutis proudly showing off his winners trophy.
Angling journalist and Thames regular Keith Arthur said: “I am delighted to hear that plans are in hand for an even bigger and better event next year, bringing a section of semi-tidal Thames at Ham into the match and with it lots more activities on the ample grassland next to the river. The way the river has fished this year, 2016 should be even better. One of the big surprises for me was the appearance of some serious roach on the downstream section at Barnes. Next year the pegging will be more generous so I expect even more fish to be caught.”
TideFest organiser Martin Salter from the Angling Trust said: “It has been great to see so many people out enjoying the river right in the heart of London and for angling to be at the centre of celebrating the fabulous potential of the Thames. Including new sections upstream allows us to cater for a minimum of 60 anglers, and maybe more in the future, whilst giving everybody a bit more room to maximise the potential from their pegs.”
Will Barnard, Angling Development Manager for Thames Water said: “Thames Water are pleased to be supporting the Thames TideFest Championship and to be promoting angling opportunities in London. The tidal Thames is already a good fishery but it will only get better once the new Tideway Tunnel is built and the water quality improves still further.”
Will Barnard of Thames Water get’s ready for the weigh-in
This year’s TideFest raised £225 for Get Hooked on Fishing.
To book a place for next year’s TideFest contact Ron’s Tackle, 465 Upper Richmond Road West, London SW14 7PU. Telephone: 020 8876 4897 or email sandra.drew@anglingtrust.net
Amongst the huge variety of events on offer at Tidefest, perhaps one of the most exciting is Stand-Up Paddleboarding. You really can walk straight off the street and find yourself standing up in the middle of the river. Paddle boarding is fun, safe and great exercise, but best of all it allows you the chance to have a swans eye view of London from the middle of the river.
Tidefest offers absolute beginners the chance to learn how to take to the water and navigate yourself around on the amazing Tidal Thames. It’s an experience not to be missed and was a sell out in 2015, so keep your eyes peeled for updates on when tickets for the 2016 event will go on sale !
