Posted by Peter Ceresole on January 01, 2009 at 00:00:40 user PeterC.
A little while ago, we were discussing concrete lighters, and the one still parked in Amazon Creek, opposite to where Sinbad Creek doesn't join it. 51 51 35.88 N 1 16 20.31 E; (copy and paste those directly into the search window in Google Earth and you should be on top of it). At the time I was remembering seeing these lighters used as moorings in the middle of the Thames, shortly after the war; well they're still there. Crossing Waterloo Bridge today in the bus, I could see one quite close by, down river. 51 30 32.69 N 0 6 49.55 W Ugly brutes they are- you can't miss them. And they must be pretty water tight; that one might have been there for nearly 60 years and it's still floating high.
I'd forgotten exactly where they were because our normal route into town takes us on the 63 bus, across Blackfriars Bridge. No concrete lighters visible from there (although I think there may be one just downstream from Lambeth Bridge). But today, we took the 176 and a whole new world was open for our amazement.
I do love living in London, I really do. A big soft place full of great things to see...