Now in its third year the Source to Sea River Relay is bigger and more diverse than ever. The Bottle’s journey will begin at the source of the river in a field near Kemble in Gloucestershire where it will be filled with fresh Thames water. The Bottle will then be helped on its journey downstream towards London by rowers, walkers, swimmers, paddleboarders, kayakers, sailors, punters and many more. For the most part the bottle will stay each night with Environment Agency Lock Keepers or on occasions at a riverside Inn and even one night in Hampton Court Palace. From there the Bottle will have completed the first part of its journey.
On arrival at Teddington Lock and the start of the tidal Thames the Bottle will be transported by the historic Richmond Bridge Boat Club to be met at Hammertons Ferry by staff from the National Trust’s Ham House where it will go on display to the public over the Bank Holiday Monday.
On the first official day of Totally Thames the Bottle will transfer across the River aboard Hammertons passenger Ferry to be met by staff from Orleans House Gallery where it will be added to the current exhibition Team Spirit.
After two days at Orleans House Gallery the Bottle is then be transported by Paddleboarders from nearby Eel Pie Island downstream to the London Museum of Water and Steam where it will be displayed. On Sunday 6th September it will also take pride of place on the Museum’s horse drawn fire engine as it makes its way around the grounds.
From the Museum of Water and Steam the bottle will be carried from Kew Bridge to the riverside Headquarters of British Rowing (BR) next to Hammersmith Bridge. Here, at BR HQ, the bottle will oversee the workings of one of the UK’s most popular water sports, and see where the logistics for the Great British Rowing Team is orchestrated as they prepare for Rio 2016.
Here a daring handover is planned from British Rowing to paddleboarders from Active360 as they paddle underneath Hammersmith Bridge and the bottle is winched down to them to collect on the way back from an early evening paddle. To register and be part of this outing withActive360 book now and get a discount by quoting ‘Totally Thames’.
Whilst the Bottle resides at Active360’s base in Putney there will be the opportunity to hear talks on 9th and 10th September about Paddleboarding on the Thames and further afield.
Today the Bottle will join the river’s commuter community as it takes a Thames Clipper from Putney to Blackfriars in time for the next day and the Great River Race.
Will the Bottle be watching or participating in the Great River Race?
From manpower to horsepower the Bottle will spend today with the team from London RIB Voyages and their Totally Thames Blasts departing from St Katharine’s Pier.
Today the Bottle will move back to dry land and be taken to the BFI; an iconic building and institution underneath Waterloo Bridge on the Southbank. Here the Bottle will be taken around the building including the projection room and one of the cinemas.
From an institution of the moving image the Bottle moves to the Tate Modern just in time for the opening of Tate’s latest exhibition.
Today the Bottle will go back in time from Tate Modern’s contemporary architecture to the royal fortress of the Tower of London. Met by a Yeoman, the Bottle will be ‘taken to the Tower’ where it will reside at her majesty’s pleasure!
Having been collected from the Tower the Bottle will today go back on to the water and by care of the Ahoy Centre will take part in the first of two Totally Thames Oarsome Challenges from Westminster Boating Base to the Ahoy Centre in Greenwich. The race is early so make sure you check times! On arrival at theAhoy Centre the Bottle will be taken to the Design Museum where it will become part of a weekend of design activities hosted by the museum.
From the Design Museum it’s back to the Ahoy Centre where the Bottle will be introduced to members and crew who sail, row and even build boats at this close-knit and inspiring organisation.
Travelling by land from a sailing organisation to a museum of maritime and history, the Bottle will be handed over by the Ahoy Centre to students and staff at the National Maritime Museum ahead of a day of workshops inspired by bottles and Yinka Shonibare’s Ship in a Bottle, which is on display outside the Sammy Ofer Wing at the Museum.
After four days on display at the National Maritime Museum the Bottle makes its way to the Thames Barrier and into the information centre ahead of its scheduled annual closure on Sunday 27th.
With the Barrier closed to all traffic the Bottle will be taken East by the Port of London Authority (PLA) to Erith Yacht Club in Bexley where the Commodore and young sailors will receive the precious cargo.
Nearly at the end of its journey the Bottle will be taken to Tilbury Docks by the PLA and handed to the organisers of the Tilbury Riverside Project. In the afternoon the Bottle will guest of honour at a public event including a talk, a picture display and refreshments after which it will be taken on a colourful flag-led walk open to the public around the historic Port of London Terminus, which was London’s passenger ferry gateway to the world. The walk is organised and led by the Arts Organisation Kinetika. The Bottle will then be taken in ceremony over the river on board the Tilbury to Gravesend Passenger Ferry to be handed back to Gravesend RNLI ready for the final day’s journey.
The Last day of the Source to Sea River Relay. Gravesend RNLI will hand the Bottle over to Southend RNLI mid channel as the Bottle makes its way to sea and to Southend’s RNLI Station at the end of Southend Pier to be handed over to Metal, Southend’s Cultural organisation, where it will be put on display in its final destination.
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