It seems like only the other day we were talking about the plans for the South Bank beach project (well, actually we did mention it on Tuesday), but if you need your memory jogging here's a quick recap.
The Jubilee Gardens area of the South Bank was supposed to get a bit of a makeover this summer, with the Coach Park and part of Queen's Walk being turned temporarily into a beach and outdoor cinema.
Great, we thought, that'll be nice. What we didn't realise is how vital the "applied to Lambeth Council for permission" part of the story actually was. We should have seen it coming really.
As weeks went by and support for the project grew those inevitable headlines with the words 'council' and 'delay' in them slowly began to appear.
And then, as May tuned into June, we found out that Lambeth Council had failed to get down to the development site to have a gander and the project sank further and further into the stagnant swamp of beurocratic malaise.
Until today! When the sky is dark and the wind blows a chill through your very being, that's when the council decide it's time to approve the plans.
"Plans to turn part of London's South Bank into a beach next summer have been approved by Lambeth Council," explains the BBC today, "As well as a stretch of sand, the project will include a 1,000-seat open-air cinema, beach bar, a cafe, and sports and arts activity zones. It will be organised by Back Row Events and the South Bank Centre."
We look forward to stretching out on our Lost beach towel on the bank of the Thames come June next year, and we're going to personally invite Kate Hoey to ride bareback through the site (in a bikini?) to thank her for all her efforts.
