Such a quandary

Today's river pageant will be the biggest of its kind for hundreds of years. So was there ever really a choice between seeing it in person, or staying at home to watch on TV as though it were thousands of miles away?

One look out of the window at a mizzle so dreich the other side of the river was veiled in grey, and what do you think? Join the crowds and those who've camped in the rain all night, or relax with a hot lunch with a view from the best vantage points? Such a difficult decision. Not.

Anyway, yesterday some more of the ships that will remain moored as the Avenue of Sail were in place and on display either side of Tower Bridge. Some of the larger ships were lined up below the bridge, with a fireboat practising for its part in the pageant; in the Pool of London above the bridge, the Thames Barges predominated, showing a fine display of the racing pennants they've won over the years - and with just the odd historic working vessel to provide a faint reminder of what the Pool looked like in its crowded heyday.