Talking on the towpath

The docklands of Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs, in London, are far from our usual venue for talking on the towpath. But we were delighted to swap narrowboats for tall ships as we met harbourmasters, city workers, walking guides, liveaboard boaters and new arrivals to our waterways. Come with us as we get to know a rich and varied community by water.

We met harbourmaster, Ian and his deputy, Dean as they docked a tall ship from the navy of Oman. After coming ashore they told us: “No two days are the same. We host warships, luxury superyachts, tugs and workboats here. As the Thames is tidal, you need maritime experience that you won’t find on canals. We also look after boaters in our marinas, anglers, the local sailing club, canoeists and paddleboarders. There’s always something different to deal with.” City worker, Angela, lives in an apartment overlooking the lift bridge that allows ships to pass between the docks and the Thames. “It’s a wonderful place to see all the comings and goings.” she says. “I only have a ten-minute walk to work at JP Morgan. Then in the evening, it’s a great place to wind-down with a drink or meet friends. Quite often they have water sports activities in the dock. But I prefer to watch, as I can’t swim!”

Spencer

The affable former accountant kindly invited us aboard his pride and joy ‘Cornelia’, a houseboat moored in Blackwall Basin. “We used to live in a big Victorian place, but bought this after the kids left home. It’s not your typical place to live, but we’ve never been typical. We’d never owned boats before. You make mistakes, but then you learn and get on with it. The community here is great, everyone gets on and has these different but interesting backgrounds.”

Peter

Sustainability consultant, Peter, hot-desks in Canary Wharf: “I advise corporates on being more environmentally-conscious and working here gives me amazing stories. I live close to Stinkhouse Bridge in Limehouse; so-called because leather tanneries, fertiliser, dog food and soap factories used to congregate there because the easterly prevailing winds would carry the dirt and smells down the Thames and away from the city. Yet look at how much cleaner and greener the waters are now.” This married couple have just trained as walking guides for our charity, helping visitors explore the history of the docklands. “We’ve lived here ten years,” says Steven, “but only got to know more people on walks during lockdown. We started to feed and care for the wildlife like the moorhens, ducks and geese, and that brought us more in touch with the Canal & River Trust. We volunteered so we could share our love of walking and wildlife with more visitors.”

Francina

Walking south towards the Isle of Dogs, the accents and atmosphere change, as corporate towers give way to a proper East-End neighbourhood of flats and high streets. We met Francina taking ten minutes by the water: “It’s a great place to come for calm and tranquillity. A good place to be alone. There’s an amazing park by the water where you can watch sailing boats go by. I’ve not lived here long, but I love it.”