Ah, the Thames-side beach. It's a dream oft touted, yet no latter-day Cnut has succeeded. Now, our sandy-haired mayor has raised the prospect of an annual buckets-and-spades fest to compete with similar schemes in Paris and Berlin.
Quoth the BJ: "I'm envious of them. It's certainly something we're looking at, but it's expensive." The Thames does, of course, already afford a few corners of littoral pleasure. We've all seen the wonderful sand creations beneath Gabriel's Wharf, and beach parties are not unheard of. But there's not been a proper beach on the Thames since the 1930s, when thousands would flock to Tower Foreshore to paddle in a much nastier river than we have today.
The Mayor mentioned his aspirations while opening a temporary outdoor pool on the South Bank, an initiative to get 10,000 children swimming in 12 months. "Swimming is the most wonderful form of exercise. You don't need any particular strength or skill - even I can do it!," said the Mayor. Indeed.
Image originally from our Touch Up London take on the subject.
