This is the River Thames. It is almost 346 kilometres long, and is the second longest river in Great Britain. It flows through London, and it’s this part of the river that most tourists see.
But there’s more to the Thames than a trip down the river.
The Romans built a settlement on the River Thames, and over the centuries it grew into the City of London, with a huge port. Ships from around the world brought food, goods and people to the capital.
But by the 1980s, most of the docks had closed and the area became run-down.
A lot of money has been invested in this huge riverside area. And today it’s known as ‘Docklands’.
The old warehouses are now attractive apartments. There are new office buildings, shopping centres and leisure facilities, too. People enjoy living and working by the river.
People also enjoy living on the water! This is a houseboat on the Thames.
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Nick: Hi, Alistair.
Alistair: Hey, Nick, welcome aboard.
Nick: Thank you. So why do you live on a houseboat?
Alistair: I love being close to the water. And it’s a brilliant place to invite friends over.
Nick: What’s it like to live on a boat?
Alistair: In the summer, it’s beautiful. And in the winter, it’s a bit cold.
Nick: Could you give me a tour?
Alistair: Please. Follow me. So this is the kitchen. The bedroom.
Nick: I like it. What’s the best thing about living on the river?
Alistair: For me, it’s being so close to nature. And it’s really cheap.
Nick: Is there anything you miss about living on dry land?
Alistair: I miss not being able to grow my own food and not having a garden.
Nick: Do you think you will ever move?
Alistair: Only if I have to leave London. It’s a really brilliant place to live in the city.
......
The Thames has seen a lot of changes over the years. But perhaps the biggest change is still to come.
This image is of the River Thames frozen over. It’s not a real photograph. It’s been created digitally. It shows the effect climate change may have on the river if temperatures drop significantly.
They were created by two illustrators: Didier Madoc-Jones and Robert Graves.
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Nick: Didier, Tell us about this exhibition.
Didier: We wanted to create postcards from the future – well-known views of London – to show people how it might look with the effects of climate change.
Nick: Why does this one show the Thames frozen over?
Didier: Well some scientists think we might experience a new mini ice age with very cold winters and in the summer we’d experience flooding due to melting ice sheets.
Nick: Do you think that could really happen?
Didier: Nobody really knows. The point of our exhibition was to get people thinking about climate change and the future of London.
......
The River Thames has changed over the centuries, and will continue to do so. But hopefully it will always be here for both local people and tourists to enjoy and explore.
Comments
I haven't been in London and I really want to visit there one day! I'd like to visit all tourism objects in London!!!
i am with you !
I've been to London 4 times and I look forward visiting again
Hi Figaro, 4 times! What did you do in London when you went there? What's your favourite thing about visiting London?
Simon (LearnEnglish Teens Team)
I was went in London last year for 10 days.London is beautiful city in the world for me.
My uncle lives in England.And soon I will visit him.
I've never been to London but I want to go there so much^^
I haven't been to London but I would love to go there !!!
I have never been to London,but I would love to visit it! One of the main reason that I would like to visit London,is their british accent! I absolutely love itttttt :)))
It's Amaziiiing <3 :o
I haven't been in London . If I am and I would want to see tower bridge, The London Eye, Buckingham palace the first at first. And................................................................ been to Baku? Write answer...... I wait
Very nice!!
i LOVE London and even more so England all around!I know that London is very beautiful city and very big. I like the food, the transport, and the people.London is Very wonderful!!
My cherished dream it is to visit this lovely city!!!
I want to go to London. I want to visit all popular places. For example the Westminster Abbey, National Gallery, Royal Opera and Hyde Park. I think It wiil be very interesting.
Hi all I cant see the video can anyone tell me why?
Hi Marbella, The video is working for me. Try watching it on a different computer or try another web browser (Chrome, IE, Mozilla). Do the other videos in this section work for you? Let us know more and we will try to fix this problem for you.
Simon (LearnEnglish Teens Team)
WOW,London is wonderful and amaizing!Ihave never been to London,but i wuold love to :)
I'm going to London this spring and I`m looking for some interesting places that I want to visit. I`d like to go to The museum of tea and coffee, The Serlock Holmes Museum, The Kew Gardens, The Museum of Albert and Victory and Greenwich observatory. Also it would be nice to see the oldest scientific zoo in the world - London zoo, that is situated in the Regent`s park.
Hi Lemon,
Have a great trip to London. Let us know what you visit and what you like best.
Best wishes and safe travels! Jo (LearnEnglish Teens Team)
London is amazing! I'd like to get more about the British homes and about the way they run their house.
i never visit london i hope that one day to visit london
London is brilliant! I'd like to go there in the summer!
I was only once in london and I like to go again because it is a wonderful city
i haven't been in london but i hope that one day i could live in london...
I've spend a year in London and it was a terrific experience, I was in a boarding school, on an exchange program, and I have the best impressions. People were very kind, hospitable and good to talk to. Some people say that Londoners aren't very hospitable, but I'm sure it's false.
It almost was the time of my life. First time I came there, I was surprised with the number of habitants. The crowd was anywhere, but I like big cities and it wasn't a problem for me. I didn't know what to look at first, I was enchanted with everything, starting from Big Ben, than Thames, Tower Bridge, Buckingham palace etc. We had some excursions at school at weekends, so we visited the majority of museums, monuments, famous buildings, and the less famous ones. I don't like English food very much, but I liked to eat in Harrods. The store is huge and visiting every department takes a long time. My favourite was the famous Food hall.
Hyde Park is always a pleasure. I used to visit it often with my room mate. It took me a lot to find the all interesting places, because there are so many things to see and visit. If you are in London, you really should explore everything, because every corner there has a little story for itself and its' own beauty.
If you still haven't visited this amazing city, I strongly recommend you to do it as soon as possible. You won't regret at all;).