This weekend is co-ordinated with the Open House London event, which showcases interesting buildings and architecture around London not usually open to the public. In this case, the floating pier house and the moorings of a community of live-aboard barges.
http://events.londonopenhouse.org/building/17890
There will be a cafe with refreshments in the pier house, and archaelogy artefacts from the foreshore on display.
We also have two amazing historic vessels visiting the moorings, especially to be open to the public.
The Massey Shaw is a fire tender vessel originally launched in 1935. Length 78 foot, 13’9″ beam, gross tonnage 50. During WWII she helped evacuate troops from Dunkirk and helped extinguish fires along the Thames during the Blitz. She has been completely restored recently with help from a Heritage Lottery Grant, and is now back at home on the Thames.
The VIC96 is an ex Admiralty Victualling Inshore Craft, built in 1945. Length 85 foot, 20′ beam, gross tonnage 145. They were designed to take supplies out to naval ships lying at anchor. These type of vessels were built specifically for service in WWII, based on the Clyde Puffer type and with coal fired steam powered propulsion to avoid use of scarce oil resources.
