Coast to Coast UK - Good things come in threes

I couldn’t believe my luck when I checked the bridge lift schedule for Tower Bridge, just on the off chance; not only do we have a room with a spectacular view of my favourite bridge, but it was going to be lifting this morning, to allow the passage of two tugboats.

This was exciting news, so I immediately set an alarm for 0645 to make sure we were up and ready to watch the bridge lift planned for 0715. I have always wanted to see Tower Bridge lift and it was finally going to happen.

We were at the window, cameras ready when the first siren sounded, warning of the impending closure to traffic. We watched as morning joggers, cyclists and commuters were stopped in their tracks as the gates closed and the bridge began to lift.

It was a very smooth operation, and all happened within a few minutes. Once it had opened and closed again to allow the pedestrian, cycle and vehicular traffic through, we set off down to find a good position on the bridge itself, as the schedule showed another lift was to occur half an hour later. I couldn't believe my luck. 

We walked out onto the pedestrian walkway on the downstream side and positioned ourselves there, until we realised that the second lift was to enable  the two tugboats we had just seen go up-river, to come back with the Royal Fleet Auxillary ship Proteus, which had been moored next to the Belfast, on the other side of the bridge. With this knowledge, we realised we would have a better view on the upstream side, so quickly changed our location. 

This was big, a woman wearing a ‘Bridge Watch’ shirt told me. Apparently, the bridge would have to lift until the road sections were almost vertical (it only ever opens to true vertical for the Royal family), so seeing it open to this extent was going to be quite special. She was right! It was an incredible sight to witness.

With that excitement over for the day, we returned to the hotel for breakfast before heading out to the rendezvous point for a London Transport Museum tour of disused underground station, Down Street, which doubled as  a bunker during WWII. Here, secret work was carried out in tunnels converted to offices, typing pools, telephone exchanges, dormitories, kitchens and mess rooms.

As fascinating as this was, I was very pleased to emerge into the fresh air and sunlight after the dark and dirty underground, with the noise of the trains on the Piccadilly Line flying through at regular intervals.  After a wander through the monopoly board, that is London - Mayfair, Piccadilly, Green Park, St James Park, The Mall, Trafalgar Square and the Strand - we caught a water Uber back to Tower Bridge and freshened up. We rested a while in our room before going down to the outside bar  where we sat in the shadow of the bridge and enjoyed a cocktail each. 

Next, we set off for the nearby underground station again.This time we had some very special people to meet – the English branch of my cousin’s family. My cousin’s daughter Cat and her delightful son Elliot went to great lengths to meet us for dinner near King’s Cross station. We had a great time filling each other in on the intervening years since we had last visited them in November 2018.  All too soon though, dinner was over, and it was time to go our separate ways.

Back at the hotel, we took some more photos of Tower Bridge in the late evening light, before retiring to our room, but were quickly out the door again when a final check of the bridge lift times revealed another lift to allow Sailing Barge Gladys to proceed up-river, was to take place at 2100, a mere 20 minutes away.  

This time we found a spot on the riverbank and watched the bridge open  and close for the third time today. Good things definitely come in threes.   

Bridge Lift 1 - The Tugboats

Bridge Lift 2 - The Proteus

Bridge Lift 3 - Sailing Barge Gladys

Cocktails in the shadow of Tower Bridge