The SS Robin arrived in the dock next to where I live with a very uncertain future. The world’s oldest steam ship built in 1890 used to live and rot at West India Quay.
After a major refit, the ship has now returned to London Docklands and resides near to my home in Victoria Dock. Good news came this week when The Heritage Fund awarded the SS Robin £1,000,000 to turn its new home into a visitor’s centre which will enable it to then join the Cutty Sark and the HMS Belfast as a new destination for tourists.
The area is also getting a new river crossing this summer in the shape of a Cable car.
The Emirates Air Line will cross the Thames at the Royal Docks to the O2 in Greenwich. The only concerns are that its the only cable car system in the world to cut through an airport’s Public Safety Zone or “Crash Zone” because London City Airport is so close.
Transport For London failed to do a safety analysis at the original planning stage. Lets hope things don’t get a little tangled up!!!
With the Olympic stadium and Westfield shopping centre in Newham also, the area is a great addition to London and certainly more interesting than most London Boroughs.
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Earlier in the week HMS St Albans paid a visit to London and today I was lucky enough to be able to go on board. The security was very high in these challenging times but they still let me walk around this Type 23 frigate. Royal Navy personnel were on hand as always to offer information about the ship and its operation and they were very approachable and informative. Here are some of the pictures I took today. 
