Published December 2020
Author Geoffrey Watson
The author’s passion for ship-spotting and readiness with a camera are in evidence in Port of London Over the Last 50 Years (Part 1 and Part 2). The names of these books are perhaps slightly misleading, because these are collections of ships of the past rather than a history of the docks themselves. And all the better for it! Going beyond Tower Wharf and observing the full breadth of the Port of London, Watson has recorded hundreds of vessels as they made their way up and down the Thames, providing a picture and potted history of each one and ensuring they are clearly listed in an index. Part 1 is devoted to ‘Cruise ships and special visitors’ – including Townsend Thoresen’s 1979-built Pride of Free Enterprise, pictured on a promotional visit to the Port of London in 1980. Part 2 covers merchant vessels, which are sometimes depicted in different guises as Watson captured their return to the Thames over many years. The Winchester Castle, for example, is also shown as Winchester Universal and Lady Madonna.
Read the Nautilus Telegraph's review of Port of London Over the Last 50 Years: Part 1
