There's something magical about the rise and fall of the tide - especially on an urban river. It shows that nature still exerts a power over us. And it can catch people out.
Today, I turned left rather than right out of the office car park in Richmond, Surrey. Within seconds, I realised that I'd have to think again. The tidal river Thames had reclaimed Water Lane, blocking the route round to Richmond Green from the waterfront. I couldn't resist getting out of the car to take this photo, especially as the sun was shining - a rare event in January 2011.
Richmond has long been one of my favourite places. I got to know the place in the late Sixties when we lived in nearby Whitton. (We regularly saw drivers in tears as they returned to find their parked cars under water after the tide came in.) Twenty years later, I spent a lot of time here when I moved back to London from Wales. And now I'm lucky enough to work in an office on the waterfront.
Comments