Barges on the Thames

Spent a few days in London including a lovely day strolling up and down the Thames.
The views over the Thames from the restaurant at the top of the Tate Modern are fantastic on a bright spring day.
Walking across what is known as the "wobbly bridge" towards St Paul's a raft of barges chugged beneath us, stacked with containers and bound for some rubbish dump down river.

 

Three barges are tied together as a giant butty boat and towed downstream by the tug. I'm told they are called Thames Lighters. No mudlarks in sight, but the Thames is a perpetual source of life and fascination.Samuel Pepys was well acquainted with barges - just look at www.pepys.info where you'll find even the king had a barge (May 1661).