Latest news with #ThamesClippers
Evening Standard
21-05-2025
- Evening Standard
The ultimate spring travel guide
What better way to see the capital than from the water? And Uber Boat by Thames Clippers offers the smoothest ride in town. Connecting 24 piers across the city every 10 to 20 minutes, this modern River Bus service is the most civilised way to sightsee, without fretting about traffic. Glide under Tower Bridge, past Westminster and along to Greenwich, taking it all in through panoramic windows, with a drink in hand from the onboard café.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
King Charles Takes an Uber Boat Along the River Thames to Visit London's 'Super Sewer'
King Charles' busy week of royal events continued on the water! The monarch, 76, boarded a hybrid Thames Clippers Uber Boat in Westminster on Wednesday, May 7, for a ride along the famous London waterway. He met with employees as he traveled on the Mars Clipper, one of three boats the Thames Clippers company currently has serving 24 piers along the River Thames. He also chatted with CEO Sean Collins, learning more about the company's investments in hybrid and hydrogen power. 'It's a nice way [to travel],' the King remarked, according to The Daily Mail. Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty King Charles in London on May 7, 2025 King Charles in London on May 7, 2025 Related: King Charles Urges Climate Action on Behalf of His Grandchildren: 'They Will Be Living with the Consequences' After a 10-minute ride, the royal group disembarked for a visit to the Thames Tideway Tunnel project at Bazalgette Embankment. Known as the London 'super sewer,' the tunnel was officially opened by the King after 10 years of construction. Measuring 25km long and able to hold more than four million gallons of sewage, the Tideway project was built to help divert waste away from the Thames and keep the iconic river cleaner. The London sewers were originally constructed during the Victorian era, when the capital city held just around four million people. The system has struggled in recent years due to increased population, rainfall and climate change. TOBY MELVILLE/POOL/AFP via Getty King Charles in London on May 7, 2025 King Charles in London on May 7, 2025 Tideway CEO Andy Mitchell welcomed the King, showing off the project's high-tech tracking systems — which have measured nearly two billion gallons of waste diverted away from the Thames since August 2024 — and unveiling a plaque bearing his name. 'The King was fascinated with detail and the quality of the space,' Mitchell later said of the monarch's visit. 'The team were absolutely thrilled with his comments on the quality of the work here. In an average year, there are 40 million tons [of sewage] and we will be preventing the vast majority of that from going into the river.' King Charles also met with some of the 25,000 workers on the project and spoke with poet Dorothea Smartt, whose poetry about the River Thames is inscribed on the Tideway's ventilation columns. TOBY MELVILLE/POOL/AFP via Getty King Charles in London on May 7, 2025 King Charles in London on May 7, 2025 Related: King Charles Sports a Top Hat at First Buckingham Palace Garden Party of the Season with Queen Camilla The monarch has been a lifelong proponent of environmental causes and conservation projects, and his royal calendar often reflects that passion. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! On Tuesday night, King Charles attended the premiere of Ocean with David Attenborough, the latest nature documentary hosted by the beloved English biologist, at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The film, which is set to debut in cinemas before airing on NatGeo and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, focuses on sharing 'the story of how we can, and must, restore the glory of Earth's vast, interconnected waters,' according to a press release. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
King Charles switches up his commute as he takes an Uber boat along the River Thames
The King undertook a royal first on Wednesday - hopping on a hybrid Thames Clippers ' Uber boat' for his commute to work. His Majesty, 76, looked delighted with the variation from his State Bentley on a sunny, although slightly gusty, day in London with the famous skyline including the Houses of Parliament behind him. He arrived on the floating pier at Westminster with minimal fanfare, where he undertook a short meet and greet with executives accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of London, Sir Kenneth Olisa. 'Am I going to get into the right boat? There are so many to choose from,' Charles joked, as he walked past another full of commuters and tourists just departing. On board the battery-powered ' Mars Clipper' he was introduced to employees and apprentices during his ten minute journey to the Thames Tideway Tunnel project. On route, he learnt more about the positive impact the hybrid vessel - one of three in the fleet - has on London's water artery. Uber Boats serves 24 piers across the capital in 10-20 minute intervals and Thames Clippers has been heavily investing in hybrid and hydrogen-powered vessels. 'It's a nice way [to travel],' said the monarch, admiringly. 'Is this just one of a number of these vessels?' Smoothing his hair and admiring the view as they powered along the water, the King chatted enthusiastically about the new technology that powered the fleet. As it pulled into dock he remarked: 'Fantastic,' and then, spotting Sir Ken disembarking with him dressed in his full formal finery he said: 'Take care your spurs don't caught in that!' The second part of his visit took him to the Thames Tideway Tunnel project - known as London's 'super sewer' - at Bazalgette Embankment. Following ten years of construction the 25km-long sewer has now been switched on to protect the River Thames and was officially opened by the king. The new system can store the equivalent of 640 Olympic swimming pools of sewage and has already captured more than six million tonnes of storm sewage since February. The original Victorian system was designed for a population of just four million and while still in workable condition, has struggled to cope with population growth and rainfall caused by climate change. Accompanied by the Secretary of State for Environment, Steve Reed, Charles toured the site and viewed a live tracker displaying the tonnage of sewage taken by the tunnel. On the Uber boat, he learnt more about the positive impact the hybrid vessel - one of three in the fleet - has on London's water artery 'Are you going to finish it and then do something else?' asked the King. He also met with some of the 25,000-strong construction workforce who have been involved in the project, which is still ongoing. He patted one man on the arm as he told him his family was back in India. 'They are all well, I hope? he asked. 'Have you got the crane?' he asked another. The King also walked through a 'mini park' planted for the local community and visitors including 71 trees and 3,000 plants. Standing by several giant ventilation funnels for the sewer inscribed with poetry, Charles viewed the vista admiringly. Andy Mitchell, CEO of sewer builders Tideway, then invited him to unveil a plaque commemorating his visit. He said: 'It's taken over ten years of work from an awful lot of people to get where we are now. It's a huge feat of engineering, something we are very proud of. We have created a lot jobs, new spaces and a cleaner river along the way. We hope what we have done here will show to others what can be done.' Afterwards he added: 'The king was fascinated with detail and the quality of the space, as well as the humanity of it with all the planting. The team were absolutely thrilled with his comments on the quality of the work here. In an average year there are 40 million tonnes [of sewage] and we will be preventing the vast majority of that from going into the river.' Charles greeted poet Dorothea Smartt, whose poetry about the Thames is printed on the ventilation columns on the new tunnel. The King is known for his love of nature and passion for bringing about conversations about climate change, first speaking about the dangerous effects of plastic pollution on the environment when he was 21 years old in 1970. In 2023, he famously said that the 'world does not belong to us' at Cop28 in Dubai, adding that his grandchildren, Prince Louis, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie would be living with the effects of our warming planet. Tideway say that everyone it rains, its high-tech computers calculate how much sewage is filling the tunnel network instead of spilling into the river. This month, the new super sewer was connected to the Lee Tunnel, which has been operation since 2016 and runs from Stratford to East Ham, completing the full London Tideway Tunnel network. The new tunnel will protect the Thames from sewage pollution, with Tideway data showing that a whopping 6,790,231 cubic meters of dirty water has been diverted away from the river since August 2024. The monarch beamed as he spoke with Sir David Attenborough while the pair posed for pictures together on Tuesday evening This visit comes after Charles attended the world premiere of Sir David Attenborough 's new documentary - Ocean - on Tuesday evening. The royal, 76, was suited and booted for the special event and looked dapper in his black tux as he stepped out at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Charles was seen greeting people and waving at wellwishers as he made his way down the blue carpet. The monarch also beamed as he spoke with Sir David while the pair posed for pictures together. The legendary environmental broadcaster, 98, has his latest documentary which releases on his 99th birthday on Thursday. The King and Sir David are thought to have a close relationship, as the presenter was also good friends with his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.
Telegraph
09-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
River Thames pier renamed over slavery links
A River Thames pier called 'Plantation Wharf' has been renamed after anti-racism campaigners said that it was linked to slavery. The wharf in Wandsworth, south London, will now be known as 'St Mary's Wandsworth Pier' after the local Labour MP said it was 'highly offensive'. The pier was named after an adjoining housing development called Plantation Wharf. The site was built on a former sugar refinery by Iain Shearer, the millionaire dockland developer in the 1980s and early 1990s. The development also includes a series of British Empire-themed names, including Cotton Row, Spice Court and Ivory Square. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, which owns the pier, renamed it on Monday after a backlash from anti-racism campaigners. Marsha de Cordova, the Labour MP for Battersea, said the pier's former name had made 'a mockery of the violent history of chattel enslavement'. She said: 'The term 'plantation' carries highly offensive connotations, does not serve the wonderful diversity of Battersea's residents and makes a mockery of the violent history of chattel enslavement. 'Having campaigned for Thames Clippers to change the pier's name, I am pleased this has been achieved. It marks an important step forward in how we structure our public spaces.' Rachelle Ferron, a fellow campaigner and the head of entertainment at ITV's Good Morning Britain, said the pier had previously been 'a shameful signpost to slavery'. She said: 'While advocating for Plantation Rum to rebrand in 2022, I was taken aback to learn about Plantation Wharf on the world-renowned River Thames, which stood as a shameful signpost to slavery. 'Uber Boat by Thames Clippers inherited the name from a neighbouring development, which continues to brand its bricks with references to the transatlantic slave trade. 'I am pleased that Uber Boat by Thames Clippers listened and led the way by renaming its pier to St Mary's Wandsworth, which is much more appropriate for our times and diverse city.' Ms de Cordova and Ms Ferron have now called for Plantation Wharf Management Ltd, which manages the housing development, to follow suit. Other colonial-themed names at the development include Molasses Row, Calico House and Cinnamon Row. Estate name change Vanessa Brady, the chairman of the estate's board of directors, said residents would be consulted on changing its name. Ms Brady said: 'It is not a simple process, but we will continue to consult with residents to see if they agree to pay for the costs incurred in changing the name and indeed if they want to change their name. 'We can only consult and then act on the wishes of the leaseholders. Another idea would be to receive a fund from the Mayor's office to pay for it.' Uber Boat by Thames Clippers said: 'From April 7, Plantation Wharf Pier will be known as St Mary's Wandsworth following productive talks with house/boat residents, with the pier's signage being updated to reflect the change. 'The updated pier name will appear in our new Uber Boat by Thames Clippers timetable and route map, which comes into effect on the same day as the official name change.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
River Thames pier renamed over slavery links
A River Thames pier called 'Plantation Wharf' has been renamed after anti-racism campaigners said that it was linked to slavery. The wharf in Wandsworth, south London, will now be known as 'St Mary's Wandsworth Pier' after the local Labour MP said it was 'highly offensive'. The pier was named after an adjoining housing development called Plantation Wharf. The site was built on a former sugar refinery by Iain Shearer, the millionaire dockland developer in the 1980s and early 1990s. The development also includes a series of British Empire-themed names, including Cotton Row, Spice Court and Ivory Square. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, which owns the pier, renamed it on Monday after a backlash from anti-racism campaigners. Marsha de Cordova, the Labour MP for Battersea, said the pier's former name had made 'a mockery of the violent history of chattel enslavement'. She said: 'The term 'plantation' carries highly offensive connotations, does not serve the wonderful diversity of Battersea's residents and makes a mockery of the violent history of chattel enslavement. 'Having campaigned for Thames Clippers to change the pier's name, I am pleased this has been achieved. It marks an important step forward in how we structure our public spaces.' Rachelle Ferron, a fellow campaigner and the head of entertainment at ITV's Good Morning Britain, said the pier had previously been 'a shameful signpost to slavery'. She said: 'While advocating for Plantation Rum to rebrand in 2022, I was taken aback to learn about Plantation Wharf on the world-renowned River Thames, which stood as a shameful signpost to slavery. 'Uber Boat by Thames Clippers inherited the name from a neighbouring development, which continues to brand its bricks with references to the transatlantic slave trade. 'I am pleased that Uber Boat by Thames Clippers listened and led the way by renaming its pier to St Mary's Wandsworth, which is much more appropriate for our times and diverse city.' Ms de Cordova and Ms Ferron have now called for Plantation Wharf Management Ltd, which manages the housing development, to follow suit. Other colonial-themed names at the development include Molasses Row, Calico House and Cinnamon Row. Vanessa Brady, the chairman of the estate's board of directors, said residents would be consulted on changing its name. Ms Brady said: 'It is not a simple process, but we will continue to consult with residents to see if they agree to pay for the costs incurred in changing the name and indeed if they want to change their name. 'We can only consult and then act on the wishes of the leaseholders. Another idea would be to receive a fund from the Mayor's office to pay for it.' Uber Boat by Thames Clippers said: 'From April 7, Plantation Wharf Pier will be known as St Mary's Wandsworth following productive talks with house/boat residents, with the pier's signage being updated to reflect the change. 'The updated pier name will appear in our new Uber Boat by Thames Clippers timetable and route map, which comes into effect on the same day as the official name change.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
