As we approach the end of British Summer Time this weekend the weather is getting much cooler but thankfully staying bright and sunny. Aside from Monday’s torrential rain this means I’ve been able to cycle into work every day with my nice 15-20 minute ride into Shoreditch. Yesterday was a perfect example of why cycling is best, as I left our house and crossed the roundabout the traffic almost immediately stopped solid allowing me to wind my way through the, often too small, gaps left by the cars. As I got closer to Tower Bridge I found out why the traffic was so solid – the bridge was up letting a boat through. Luckily I’d timed this perfectly and raced up the empty side of the road reaching the gates just after they’d opened. Yay!
There seems to me no reason why the bridge should go up during rush hour given the havoc this causes, and strangely enough the Tower Bridge lift schedule agreed with me saying that the Rainbow Warrior was due through at 10.45 but nothing before then. So who knows why it was up. Today it’s due to go up at 10.15 for Steamboat Will, so who knows if they’ll decide to come through on time or not. For those of you with big boats that need to go up the Thames just that little bit further (as you’re not getting past Wandsworth Bridge however much you hope) you’ll be glad to hear that bridge raises are free… to you at least. To everyone in the traffic you’re blocking it costs raised blood pressure, running engine fumes and being late into work – something in this climate most people don’t want to be. Still, it’s pretty for the tourists.