The new Mayor of Spelthorne is starting her term in style. The River Day on June 24th will be the start of a weekend of river activity, culminating in Staines upon Thames Day on June 25th. But the weekend starts in Sunbury and you must not miss this spectacle.
The River day will comprise a procession by river from Sunbury to Staines. The excitement is that the Mayor will be rowed in the Gloriana. That is exciting in itself, but she is being crewed by members of the Sunbury Skiff and Punting Club. What an honour!!!
Gloriana, The Queen’s Rowbarge is a lasting legacy of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Her immediate realm is the River Thames and London, but Gloriana also celebrates the Commonwealth, which delivers a truly international dimension to her presence. The crests of 16 Commonwealth countries adorn the outside of the coach. Gloriana is an inspiration for national pride, a showcase for traditional British boat-building and craftsmanship, and a means of encouraging people, especially young people, to engage with the River Thames and the sport of rowing.
Jubilant will also be in the pageant. She is the copy of an 18th-century royal shallop and was built by traditional boat builder Mark Edwards at Richmond Bridge Boathouses in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. She is used for training disabled rowers to join able-bodied rowers in events, ceremonies and regattas on the Thames.
Jolly Brit, former tender to the Royal Yacht Britannia will be joining the pageant. This boat is now privately owned and has supported civic functions in the past.
The River Day procession will also include Impossible Dream, the specially adapted, wheelchair-friendly motorboat that provides a regular weekday programme of short river trips for disabled children and adults, with their teachers, carers, and families.
Do make sure you pop along to Kings Lawn from 9.30am on Saturday June 24th to cheers the crew on, or follow on your own boat if you have one. See full map in this magazine.