My latest Blog on the BNI Elite website
Re: Racing on the Thames
23 April 2010
By Mads Nybo Jorgensen
If one ever was to fear a boring Friday evening, fear not; our very own special party-maker Helen Wakeman-Jones arranged the perfect night out including spades of sunshine, a quiet cruise down the river Thames followed by a bit of mellow jazz music with an open bar.
14 members + 2 Elite partners in crime met early for a champagne reception on the Millennium Pier, underneath the London Eye. The champagne was chilled to perfection and so was the pier security - which was desperate to find out who had given permission to serve alcohol on their watch? Before they could react and impound our glasses, we had drunk the apple juice and so the evidence magically disappeared.
The group were suitably kitted out with windcheaters and lifejackets supplied and dresses by the lovely people from the London Rib Voyages company. Strict instructions were added that not at any time was one to pull the cord, unless in the water and the self-inflation mechanism found not to be working i.e. you're drowning!
Two Ribs were summoned to carry the group enlarged by a few tourists. I happened to find myself next to Mel with our backs to the steering and loudspeaker. Followed on by our kick boxing champion Lisa and Stephanie, Linky and Elizabeth, Richard with wife Judy and Alan and Sarah. I am guessing that the rest of the group went in the other boat.
Once boarded, safety checked and signed the disclaimers we raced from the eye up to Canary Wharf. Only slowing down for the Wapping Water Rats station - otherwise known as the Thames law enforcers. Once passed those guys, the Bond music was turned on full blast and the race between the boats was on - check out http://tinyurl.com/37aluqv for a full description of the boats - I can testify that if at enough speed, they will jump the waves.
Check out the pictures here: http://tinyurl.com/3ynkckh
On the return Louise, our Whitechapel based River guide talked us through all of the see-worthy sights on the River and the Houses of Parliament including the legal smoking room. My favourite was Belfast and that it still has the capacity to bombard the M1 - if we didn't already know that? http://tinyurl.com/3amqsof and the glassy building covering the view to the monument is originally build by an Italian Window Cleaner - yep, Louise was a wealth and inspiration of knowledge.
We also learned was that the River Thames is the cleanest Big City River in the world. Mel did later in the evening offer to change this through a promise of walking into the Thames without wearing any clothes - I want to use this opportunity, even at the risk of upsetting certain parts of the Elite chapter, to decline Mel's offer which was given under serious duress.
Upon disembarking the Ribs, we walked to the nearby Archduke for a treat of pub-grub, Jazz and a generous amount of wine. I have to confess that I never got to listen to the Jazz, which I think was the same for most, just too many people to catch up with outside of the usual 60 second fried egg and bacon setting. This was another superb event arranged by Helen Wakeman-Jones - Thank you very much! Let us all go and get her some referrals!!!
