We Were Nearing Gravesend,

some passengers were leaving here,

and others boarding,

I have passed through Gravesend so many times,

but never seen it from the river,

as we passed another unused jetty,

lots of new riverside developments here,

we neared the jetty,

an expertly thrown line,

and the hawser was hauled ashore,

moored by the road, 

a lightship, I really must have a look at some time when I am in Gravesend,

passengers waiting,

as the boat was secured,

gangway out, 

and set,

a closer look at the light ship, as it happens one was for sale some time ago as a floating home in London, the post is here, 

along side the lightship the church, St Andrews Mission Church, originally a mission to the dockside community it is now an arts centre. It was here that General Gordon (of Khartoum fame) taught as a Sunday school teacher whilst he was stationed in Gravesend,

time to empty the ships waste, now here is a thing, at home we have to separate all of our rubbish, but here is a neat trick, call it Trade Goods Waste, and you do not have to separate it!

we were soon underway, as I passed the engine room look who was there,

taking photographs,

I have to say before Diana noticed me,

she was totally mesmerised,

by the action of the engine,

peel-a-aboo!

it was that time of the day, 'Cheers!,

we looked at the gift shop, a refrigerator magnet it was, and I just had to buy Diana a hoodie!

who was just so happy,

we looked at some of the other rooms,

out at sea not much to see,

but here was our destination on the portside,

the pier at Southend on Sea, 

we pulled along side, a few fisherman's day not ruined, but I bet us arriving put the fish off of the feed! as onlookers took photographs,

the pier end had a number of buildings on it, 

gangway in place,

and we were off,

walking to the train station,

the queue went past,

this novelty post box,

with its knitted cover,

we were soon on the shore,

and out, 

looking back the hotel we stayed in on a previous visit here, in April 2022,

lots of amusements open,

and the star of many horror stories, the fortune teller,

we were looking for somewhere it eat, 

and found it, 

all set,

for fish and chips,

with a saveloy sausage and 2 huge gherkins, with soft drinks and tip the bill came to £40.00,

we started our walk back to the pier,

now the off season, lots of places open, but not many customers,

as we entered the pier,

we were reminded,

that Halloween is not too far away,

the staff here,

making a really good show of the festival,

with corpses hanging from the ceiling,

and a scary dairy chap,

to welcome you on the train,

above us, as if we needed reminding flags,

the train was waiting,

all aboard,

for the 1.3 mile return journey,

which took no time at all,

out and a walk to the pierhead,

past repurposed carriages,

any minute now,

and we were here,

we were a tad early,

so into the newly built restaurant that was not here on our last visit,

"I see no ships!"

the restaurant was decorated with a nice mural,

it was that time again!

the pier starting to fill,

it was getting a tad windy,

some where out there is the Waverley visiting the forts in the estuary,

the queue to board had started to form,

and there she is!

Diana had decided to take, 

a time out,

getting closer,

not long now,

and here she was,

the decks crowded, 

full astern,

as hawsers were attached to the pier,

the boat using its steam capstans drawing the vessel closer,

the captains bridge,

almost all done,

time to join the queue,

then the bad news, wait for it,

Tower Bridge had broken, we could not cruise back to London as the ship could not pass under it, 

on to Plan 'B', 

we all boarded under the pier, 

barnacles everywhere as this area is underwater at high tide,

we passed the engine room,

everyone's journey would end at Gravesend, so no lights of London to view as was plan 'A',

coaches would be provided for the trip back to Tower Hill,

but for us as we will be in Gravesend it will be quicker to take the train from there as I do every Wednesday, the thought of travelling to London and crossing the Thames in the rush hour in a coach did not appeal, and we would still have to return from London,

on the bow of the vessel, the St Andrew's Cross or Saltire, which is Scotland's national flag, tradition has it that the flag, the white saltire on a blue background, is the oldest flag in Europe and the Commonwealth, originated in a battle fought in East Lothian in the Dark Ages,

below it the steam capstan, 

everyone settled down to the rather disappointing journey home,

I carried on snapping away,

when I noticed this,

after a walk around the deck,

I went downstairs, and sampled another wine or three I think it was,

back on deck,

we neared Gravesend,

and its lightship,

a rope connected to the hawser was thrown,

no one waiting to board,

as another dredger passed,

the ship moored,

the lightship,

high and dry,

a last look at the Waverley, what a wonderful day out, 

as we made our way to the station,

which luckily was not too far,

it all looked good, then disaster, all trains cancelled! some one had decided to end their mortal coil on the tracks,

we like so many others had decided not to take the coaches into town, the platform was so crowded with passengers, made all the worse because of the cancelled trains, we eventually arrived home, it of course was not the Waverley that let us own, it was the new fangled system to raise and lower Tower Bridge that was the culprit, the old steam system so unbelievably reliable, the new totally unreliable system a source of national disgrace, but there it is, those in charge know best! as promised, a couple of videos, 

the first shows us being led to Tower bridge, the engine as it starts and at idle, before full power, also the steam winch in operation, also Diana looking on at the engine,

the second Diana made, showing us going under Tower Bridge, and the engine room, I have to say Diana's mobile telephone made a better job with the low light of the engine room, certainly a lot better than my camera did, back to the evening arriving home, eventually, we had a coffee, a Midsomer Murder and then I remembered our refrigerator magnet, and here it is,

so then we were off to bed.