The Thames............Just asking ?

oldgit

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RCC was the last "club" to be given royal permission to fly a defaced blue with a Gules, a stallion forcené argent.
We have the letter on show in our cabinet containing our geniune nickel silver pots and plates.
Have I mentioned before that all your swans belong to either HM or the Lords Vinters.................... ours belong to us the common people. :)
 

oldgit

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No they are not


What is the situation, hope to moor there during our visit in the next couple of weeks.
Would much prefer the countryside of Beale Park to the honeypot of Goring just upstream.
Is it strictly 24 hours and how does one pay ?
 

thamesS23

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re Beale park, all the moorings for the whole stretch are now back open.
Moor up and walk through to the car park and you will see a small cafe to the right. You pay there and they give you a mooring ticket, which you can redeem against against entry to the Park itself (which we did).
We moored up mid week and it was pretty quiet. The cafe itself shuts at 6pm, so if you arrive after that there is nothing you can do. Not sure if they come round and check, although weekends might be different
 

Pump-Out

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Have I mentioned before that all your swans belong to either HM or the Lords Vinters.................... ours belong to us the common people. :)
Incorrect.
The Crown own all mute swans in open water. However HMQ only exercises that right on the Thames.
Not Lord Vintners, but the Worshipful company of, together with the Worshipful Company of Dyers.
Swan upping is underway as I type - Marlow to Sonning today, Wednesday.

Your knowledge is as poor as your fender management. ;-)

From Royal Household website:
"The ceremony of Swan Upping takes place during the third week of July every year. Swan Upping dates from the twelfth century, when The Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans which were considered an important food for banquets and feasts. Today The Crown retains the right of ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, but The Queen mainly exercises this right on certain stretches of the River Thames and its surrounding tributaries. This ownership is shared with the Vintners' and Dyers' Livery Companies who were granted rights of ownership by The Crown in the fifteenth century. "
 

oldgit

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Incorrect.
Your knowledge is as poor as your fender management. ;-)
who were granted rights of ownership by The Crown in the fifteenth century. "

H,mm .

.....and they all belong to Her Maj the 2nd and are merely counted by what amounts to an early version of a franchise dressed by the wardrobe people from
Alice in Wonderland.

....ours belong to Mayor of Maidstone which is an elected Office.
"The cruise is an ancient tradition, with its origins with Queen Elizabeth 1, who in 1559 granting the borough of Maidstone the privilege of owning the swans on its own waterways - all other swans in the country officially belong to The Queen. "

Falconry & Wildlife Manager Named ‘Swan Master’ of Maidstone
Fancy dress optional.
Two rivers get a proper mention in the Domesday Book (1086) one was the Medway, the name of the other escapes me. :)
We can agree on the fenders. :)
 

billskip

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Incorrect.
The Crown own all mute swans in open water. However HMQ only exercises that right on the Thames.
Not Lord Vintners, but the Worshipful company of, together with the Worshipful Company of Dyers.
Swan upping is underway as I type - Marlow to Sonning today, Wednesday.

Your knowledge is as poor as your fender management. ;-)

From Royal Household website:
"The ceremony of Swan Upping takes place during the third week of July every year. Swan Upping dates from the twelfth century, when The Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans which were considered an important food for banquets and feasts. Today The Crown retains the right of ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, but The Queen mainly exercises this right on certain stretches of the River Thames and its surrounding tributaries. This ownership is shared with the Vintners' and Dyers' Livery Companies who were granted rights of ownership by The Crown in the fifteenth century. "
"Considered important for banquets and feasts "

Well I dont know if you have eaten swan, but to me is awful, grey meat,little (awful)taste and very little meat on them
 

oldgit

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"Considered important for banquets and feasts "

Well I dont know if you have eaten swan, but to me is awful, grey meat,little (awful)taste and very little meat on them

.....................and swans also do tend to get stroppy if you invade their personal bit of the Thames. :)
 

Outinthedinghy

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Yes , it's a myth they break your bones, they get stroppy, but harmless really


I'm not that convinced it is a myth.

Last year I decided to wind up an aggressive swan on limehouse cut. Its a well known nuisance I was in the dinghy. The outcome was that when I turned away the swan struck me very hard right on my elbow. There are some delicate bone connections there. It was like somone had hit me with a piece of wood or an air rifle shot. Not a broken bone but it was serious and I left the area and arm hurt for several days afterwards.

I always assumed it was to do with getting tangled up with a swan and it snapping your arm but having experienced it I think it's an impact thing. Not sure if it was the beak or the wing but I reckon the wing. A lot of force there.
 

billskip

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I'm not that convinced it is a myth.

Last year I decided to wind up an aggressive swan on limehouse cut. Its a well known nuisance I was in the dinghy. The outcome was that when I turned away the swan struck me very hard right on my elbow. There are some delicate bone connections there. It was like somone had hit me with a piece of wood or an air rifle shot. Not a broken bone but it was serious and I left the area and arm hurt for several days afterwards.

I always assumed it was to do with getting tangled up with a swan and it snapping your arm but having experienced it I think it's an impact thing. Not sure if it was the beak or the wing but I reckon the wing. A lot of force there.
Of course if you get struck on a sensitive part of your body it will cause discomfort, but a swans bones are quite thin in comparison to a human,so more likely it will do more harm to itself, again if it strikes you with its beak on your 'funnybone' or genitals it would make your eyes water.

Swans only really have their beak as attack/defence, if they attack you just grab the beak, dont fight with it,when you let it go after a few moments it will go away.
Dont be frightened of its beak it hasn't got teeth and if it pecks on you finger it doesnt hurt
 

oldgit

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Dont be frightened of its beak it hasn't got teeth and if it pecks on you finger it doesnt hurt


Haa, from personal experience can assure that a peck from a domestic goose is akin to being nipped with pair of pliars, suspect a nip from pissed off swan could be a tad worse !
 

billskip

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Haa, from personal experience can assure that a peck from a domestic goose is akin to being nipped with pair of pliars, suspect a nip from pissed off swan could be a tad worse !
Well as I lived on the Thames with river front, and the swans would regularly come into the lawn, I had many encounters with them,especially when they got in the house, I can assure you my experience is first hand.
In no way do I suggest anyone disturb the swans in any way whatsoever, but when it comes to a battle they intend to win I had to take stern measures....a swan trying to exercise its wings in your lounge and crashing into plate glass is something that you dont wish to encounter too often
 
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