London J: Thames Trivia
Nov 22nd, 2006, 09:10 AM
#21
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THAMES: LONDON'S SEWER
"The story of the Thames runs deeper than its surface. Beneath the river are miles of sewers and tunnels built during Victorian days to cure the city of The Great Stink."
"Before then all of London's sewers flushed into the Thames-causing a great stench but the also carrying diseases like cholera and typhoid. After a cholera epidemic killed over 10,000 locals in 1853 the new sewer system was urgently planned.'
"The story of the Thames runs deeper than its surface. Beneath the river are miles of sewers and tunnels built during Victorian days to cure the city of The Great Stink."
"Before then all of London's sewers flushed into the Thames-causing a great stench but the also carrying diseases like cholera and typhoid. After a cholera epidemic killed over 10,000 locals in 1853 the new sewer system was urgently planned.'
Nov 22nd, 2006, 07:39 PM
#23
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Heavens Turmergatroids - just think it could well have passed thru Flanneruk in the Cotswolds and then BTike in Maidenhead and several Londoners before it reached you - pause to think
And, don't mistake my humour, these are two of my very favoite Fodorites.
And, don't mistake my humour, these are two of my very favoite Fodorites.
Nov 23rd, 2006, 02:42 AM
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The bloke who built the sewer is Peter Bazalgette. His great granson is the owner of Bazal TV - the people who make big brother. So the ancestor pumped sh*t away from our homes and the current one pumps sh*t into our homes.
The circle of life. Innit.
The circle of life. Innit.
Nov 23rd, 2006, 05:56 AM
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There's a new book out, "The Ghost Map" by Steven Johnson, about the 1854 cholera epidemic and the discovery of contaminated water as the cause of the outbreak. It's gotten good reviews on Amazon.com, but I haven't read it yet.
Annette
Annette
Nov 27th, 2006, 07:47 AM
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Yes, A est F (by the way congrats on Spurs dominating 1-0 win in Germany!) the pamphlet says it was Joseph Bazalgette who engineered the new sewers.
"When Bazalgette's work was finished he had used 318 million bricks to build 130 km of sewers and dug up 2.5 cubic metres of earth"
"Two of these 'interceptor' sewers run along each bank of the Thames - the Victoria Embankment on the north side and the Albert Embankment of the south.
The Victoria Embankment contains not only an interceptor sewer, but a service tunnel for gas, electricity and water and the District and Circle tube railway lines.
The Albert Embankment acts as a barrier to the continual flooding of Lambeth, which was originally marshlands."
Enough of this sewer sludge?
"When Bazalgette's work was finished he had used 318 million bricks to build 130 km of sewers and dug up 2.5 cubic metres of earth"
"Two of these 'interceptor' sewers run along each bank of the Thames - the Victoria Embankment on the north side and the Albert Embankment of the south.
The Victoria Embankment contains not only an interceptor sewer, but a service tunnel for gas, electricity and water and the District and Circle tube railway lines.
The Albert Embankment acts as a barrier to the continual flooding of Lambeth, which was originally marshlands."
Enough of this sewer sludge?
Nov 27th, 2006, 08:28 AM
#36
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I've been in that sewer (we lead a glamorous life in local government you know). It's a terrific feat of victorian engineering.
Mind you every time we get a down pour it floods my office with smelly water.
Mind you every time we get a down pour it floods my office with smelly water.
Nov 28th, 2006, 07:58 AM
#37
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THAMES WILDLIFE
"Birds"
The tidal Thames brings many coastal birds to central London, such as gulls, guillemots, fulmar and cormorants and heron, who feed on small fish, an indication that the water is indeed quite clean"
"Fish"
Over 100 species of fish can be found in the Thames - such as sea bass, flounder and salmon.
So it seems during your London sojourn you can bird watch as well - bring the binoculars!
"Birds"
The tidal Thames brings many coastal birds to central London, such as gulls, guillemots, fulmar and cormorants and heron, who feed on small fish, an indication that the water is indeed quite clean"
"Fish"
Over 100 species of fish can be found in the Thames - such as sea bass, flounder and salmon.
So it seems during your London sojourn you can bird watch as well - bring the binoculars!
Nov 28th, 2006, 12:22 PM
#38
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Yes, indeed. I live by the river, and we see cormorants and heron every day, as well as various sorts of seagulls that have been here most of my life. You can pay to visit the London Wetlands centre (converted from old reservoirs) - www.wwt.org.uk; or you can take a stroll along the Thames path from Greenwich around the Dome where they've managed the embankment to create a more bird-friendly environment. I've seen a good dozen heron and plenty more cormorant there at low tide.
Nov 29th, 2006, 02:17 AM
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And there's the old bombing range at Rainham Marshes which has just opened as a bird sanctuary:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guid...shes/index.asp
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guid...shes/index.asp
Nov 29th, 2006, 08:20 AM
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FOREIGN INVADERS
"Chinese Mitten Crabs are so named because of the hairs on the ends of their claws. They are not native to the Thames but were accidentally introduced in the last century in water ballasts of cargo ships returning from China.
Welcome to the multi-national cosmopolitan greater London area.
"Chinese Mitten Crabs are so named because of the hairs on the ends of their claws. They are not native to the Thames but were accidentally introduced in the last century in water ballasts of cargo ships returning from China.
Welcome to the multi-national cosmopolitan greater London area.
