Greenwich news and information
By Thames Watch
IN the very early hours of this morning, HMS Defender arrived at Greenwich.
The Royal Navy’s state-of-the-art destroyer is making its first visit to the capital and will be moored at Greenwich until next Tuesday.
Her visit, and that of HMS Middleton which will be coming up the river to HMS President at Wapping on Friday, is timed to coincide with the centenary of the Battle of Gallipoli. [Read more…]
By Rob Powell
The London Borough of Greenwich was created in the big local government shakeup of 1965, bringing together the Metropolitan boroughs of Greenwich and Woolwich. That change came in to effect fifty years ago today with the new borough using the name of Greenwich but being based in Woolwich.
Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich’s final meeting
At the very last meeting of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich in the old town hall, councillors unanimously agreed to place on record their “deep appreciation of the loyal and untiring service given to the Borough over the years” by staff members and in the the final motion, moved by Labour’s Johanna Gollogly, expressed their “deep regret that the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich” was to lose its identity on 31st March 1965. [Read more…]
By Rob Powell
It’s that slightly infuriating day in the year when you can’t trust all that you read as folk try and catch you out with an April Fools’ Day joke. I did one when a few years ago when I put an article on the site saying there had been a spelling mistake in the Queen’s Royal Charter and the borough had been named as Royal Greeenwich (with three Es) in error – I believe it did fool a few people! [Read more…]
By Thames Watch
THE THAMES Barrier was closed for the 175th time to protect London on Saturday.
The closure was ordered to keep the capital safe from a very high tide that was predicted. The closure started at about 10.30 and by midday, all the gates were fully raised.
As high tide approached at about 2pm, water spilled across the path and on to grass at Barrier Gardens. [Read more…]
By Rob Powell
This is the story of how the grave of John Flamsteed – the first scientist appointed as the Royal Astronomer – went unmarked after his death for the best part of two centuries.
The name of John Flamsteed is a familiar one around Greenwich. He was the first Astronomer Royal and he himself laid the foundation stone for the new Royal Observatory which was built by Royal Warrant as a base for astronomical studies.
Flamsteed House (pictured below), as it’s now known, was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and is the original Observatory building which also housed the astronomers’ apartments. [Read more…]
By Thames Watch
THE Royal Navy’s HMS Severn will pass Greenwich this coming Wednesday en route to the Upper Pool for a six day visit.
The river-class patrol vessel is due at Tower Bridge for 12.45 so should pass the Thames Barrier about an hour before that and the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich at approximately 12.15 – MarineTraffic.com is a recommended website for tracking vessels on the river. [Read more…]
By Rob Powell
Royal Greenwich’s Tall Ships Regatta may have been and gone but there’s still been plenty of tall ships to see on the Thames over the past week and also the arrival of a Royal Navy frigate. [Read more…]
By Thames Watch
The five day Tall Ships Festival has drawn to a close with a beautiful parade of sail. On a gloriously warm day, the fifty ships that have been in London for the Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Festival mustered up towards Limehouse before being led down river by Polish sail training ship Dar Mlodziezy.
Crowds packed along the riverside to see the parade of barques, brigatines, schooners, sloops, cutters and ketches snake around the bends of the river. Here is a selection of photographs taken over the past few days in Greenwich.
By Thames Watch
After a quiet few weeks on the river for big ships up as far as Greenwich, there’s a glut of cruise ship spotting opportunities over the next seven days.
First up is small Norwegian MS GANN, the “wood turning cruise ship” on which young sailors learn the skills of navigation, deck work, catering and more. She is due to pass Greenwich inbound on her way to her mooring next to HMS Belfast at about 1pm on Tuesday and pass Greenwich outbound at about 3.30pm on Wednesday.