The river tamed for tourists
'George said: 'Let's go up the river.' He said we should have fresh air, exercise and quiet; the constant change of scene would occupy our minds (including what there was of Harris's); and the hard work would give us a good appetite, and make us sleep well.'
Jerome K. Jerome's classic description of a journey up the Thames, Three Men in a Boat, may have been written more than 100 years ago, but it captures the timeless appeal of messing about in boats. While Jerome's hapless trio fussed over matching the right tie with their blazers and finding an inn with honeysuckle around the door, today's river enthusiasts may have problems of a more prosaic nature, such as finding a campsite with running water, a pub that serves family meals or a place to park their car.
The non-tidal Thames - stretching 135 miles from the market town of Cricklade
It attracts 10 million motorists, cyclists and walkers each year and is used by 25,000 boats. But research carried out by the Environment Agency, the body responsible for navigation and recreation on the Thames, has shown that some visitor facilities are inadequate, poorly managed or non-existent.
'We are failing to maintain the infrastructure and provide the level of service that people expect from a major national landmark. Things may look fine but underneath the surface the rot is setting in,' said John Redmond, navigation and recreation manager for the Environment Agency's Thameside region.
The problem is partly one of geography. The river passes through 44 local authorities, but there is no single body charged with managing it as a tourism or recreational resource. The EA has now decided to launch the Thames Ahead project which aims to produce a survival strategy for the river.
The priority will be to get more people on the river. More boats mean more revenue from licence fees and more money to halt the decay of the river's 200-year-old infrastructure of locks
The agency will work with boat hire companies to determine how to win back business and to encourage them to modernise their fleets where necessary. A recent survey showed that the average age of a river cruiser for hire is 16 years and 31 per cent of hirers experienced a breakdown, either of the boat or on-board equipment. There is even talk of introducing a grading scheme for river boats similar to holiday accommodation ratings.
Through market research the EA will also pinpoint what kind of riverside development is desirable and then persuade local authorities and Thames-based businesses to invest in 'low-key environmentally sound' facilities such as improved signs, picnic areas, toilet blocks, cafes and car parking. Existing riverside attractions such as pubs and restaurants will be encouraged to accommodate the specific needs of walkers, cyclists and sailors.
If partnership funding can be secured there are also plans to set up a Thames website which would act as a resource for people wanting to plan day trips or holidays on the river.
The final challenge will be to persuade people to rediscover the charms of the river. The EA has appointed a tourism development consultancy to run a national advertising campaign next spring.
'The question is - without keeping harking back to the Edwardian days of punts and parasols - how do you take the very real mystique and history of the Thames and make it attractive to people today?' said Redmond.
One option is to play the soft-adventure card and follow in the wake of Jerome's unlikely heroes: Redmond claims there is increased interest from young people in 'skiff camping' where you load your camping gear into a rowing boat and camp out on one of the riverside or island camp sites.
