Chelsea Flower Show

The Royal Horticultural Society
Chelsea Flower Show
Chris Beardshaw
Peter Dowle
Jason Hodges 
Kazuyuki Ishihara
Andy Sturgeon
Joe Swift
Cleve West

Riverboat trip and lunch at the Savoy

Today I joined a group of ladies on the Silver Sturgeon, one of the Woods' Silver Fleet that is used for special hire - receptions, dinner, conferences etc. We were honoured to have an invitation to cruise for an hour from Savoy Pier to the Tower of London and back. It wasn't the best of weather as we assembled on the embankment and we were glad of the warmth inside. Here we took our seats in the oval booths, anticipating lots of chatting as well as viewing London sights gliding by on either side.
We were soon off and sailed under Hungerford Bridge and turned by the London Eye to head downstream in the direction of Tower Bridge. Soft drinks were served and the noise levels increased as friends caught up with the latest news of family and and other friends. Then champagne appeared and we happily toasted our hosts, Woods' Silver Fleet, who had generously welcomed us aboard. The Silver Sturgeon is truly a beautiful flagship for their fleet. Any occasion could only be enhanced by using this ship as its venue.

The staff invited us to go up on deck to view the sights as the rain had stopped. The view from the Upperdeck is great and we saw many of the famous London landmarks slide by - not the least being St Paul's, as well as the famous modern skyscrapers such as the Gherkin and the Mayor of London's office. We could also see the latest addition to the skyline - The Shard, which is to be inaugurated on 5 July 2012.

Soon we were turning just beyond Tower Bridge and sailing back to Savoy Pier. It was such a privilege to sail on this lovely ship, it was only the promise of lunch at the Savoy that softened the regret of having to disembark! The Savoy was just a short walk from the pier and we were soon seated in the Riverside Restaurant in the beautifully restored Savoy Hotel, partaking of our sumptuous lunch. It certainly is an amazing place with the rich decoration and historic artifacts to every hand and turn.

All too soon we had to say goodbye, but with promises to meet again soon.

Woods' Silver Fleet
The Silver Sturgeon 
St Paul's Cathedral
The Gherkin
The Shard
The Savoy