Life Afloat: A History of the Floating Villages on London’s Tidal Thames

The story of houseboat living is largely unknown and one with no written account. Based on photography, archive research and oral history interviews Life Afloat draws together the past and the present - for the first time ever the public will have access to a hundred years of this untold history.
Just over 15,000 people live afloat in the UK today, with over 1,000 people living in floating residences on the tidal Thames. The first of these mooring communities dates back to 1930s, with numbers increasingly on the rise since the 1980s. However for many, life afloat lacks security and is a very fragile existence.
Famous river dwellers have included actor Imogen Stubbs, who likens living on a boat to ‘living in a whale or a womb’, compared to artist Denis Postle’s comparison ‘like living inside a cello or a double bass’. Denis remarks that ‘the overarching thing about living here is realising that this is a wilderness.’ River resident Valerie Coltman reflects that ‘people thought of us as water gypsies’, and Diana Everett asserts ‘I’m in the middle of a huge city and yet it feels as though I’ve got all the space in the world.’
An exhibition and series of free walks on Life Afloat ran at Watermans, Brentford throughout September featuring photography by Katherine Fawssett and film by digital:works as part of Totally Thames 2016. The project has been made possible thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and parts of the exhibition will become part of the Geffrye Museum’s Documenting Homes archive.
Supported by Heritage Lottery

[@robertjeffries4588]

A fascinating video. I spent many happy years policing the Thames in London and for the most part the Thames Police had a very good relationship with the riverside communities. I got to know the people living at Cheyne Walk and in particular a lady who lived on the vessel Joseph Conrad. I believe she used to be a concert pianist and she actually had a grand piano installed on her boat…..Lord alone knows how she managed that! Every Christmas she would send us mince pies. Early one morning she phoned the police pier and wondered if one of our launches could pay her a visit as she couldn’t open her front door….Obviously a launch was immediately sent to help her out and they found that a metal plate connecting her house boat to the gangway had become displaced and jammed against her front door….She was absolutely delighted that “Her wonderful river police” should come to her aid so quickly. Happy days!

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

What a great story, a great life you have. Beautifully written. Thank you for sharing this memory. Much appreciated. Take care. 🙂🐿🌈❤️

[@MaritimeFox]

What a really wonderful documentary. London is like the canary in the coal mine. The same pressures are put on boaters across the wider river and canal network, just to a lesser degree. Thank you again from narrowboat 'Endeavour' on the Macclesfield canal.

[@Demun1649]

Would have loved to watch this but that first tune was just so suicidal.

[@EdiDrums]

I agree; it only lasts a few minutes, however, and comes back only once, very briefly to taint the documentary for about 40 seconds later on.

[@borderreiver3288]

Like everywhere..the rich tossers move in....kick the old residents out just so they can let it off to other rich tossers....a dog eat dog world we now live in......same in the countryside...the rich move in...force prices up so the old and young leave to be replaced by other rich tossers who turn nice little villages in to ghost places as no community left ......or they become holiday rental homes......and kill off the community....

[@hardystein114]

Yes indeed . A trend that repeats all over the world these days.

[@alexlodda]

great name @09:57

[@tlcity]

some of those apartments you can see are look to big and ugly

[@petrichor649]

We are an inconvenience, as all the unmonied peoples are in London. Flats at half a million pounds, multi million pound 2 bed semi's, London has become a desert populated by investor's and speculators.

[@Boris_Chang]

Ditto for New York City.

[@leecudmore-ray6697]

Sitting watching this on my sailing barge at Gravesend....... we are still going, and still living our wonderful lifestyle.

[@fredflintstoner596]

Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view !" Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam ." Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!" Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window ? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plains?..." Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!" Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky." Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction." Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment ?"

[@ericwilliams2317]

An interesting video, but one that slightly over glamorizes life on the river. Living like this was once a very cheap alternative to buying a flat etc. in the heart of the city, but not so these days. Houseboats can be very expensive, but this is only if it has a 'permanent residential mooring'. Without a residential mooring (which are hard to come by) you just have a boat, and one that needs to be found a mooring. You can pay the best part of £100k for a good canal narrowboat 'with' a residential mooring for instance, but if you lose the mooring it'll suddenly be worth less than Half that amount. (Thus, "Never upset the owner of a mooring"!) Also, if you sell it to a new owner and they keep the boat on the mooring, the owner of the mooring may require a commission fee from the sale.

[@avalondreaming1433]

Who is the woman with long blonde hair and freckles? Isn't she an actress?

[@kambrose1549]

Lovely positive creative imaginative people really enjoyed their stories. They deserve to be left in peace. People like them are an asset

[@TheMrgaztop]

He's right about the white middle class bit. Always has been. Unlike the Hayes cut. And that ain't Hope pier. its Wally See's pier. Not a working class accent to be found...What pisses me off, is they think they own the river. I was raised on the Thames in Fulham Reach. You never saw these people. It was a working river.

[@vanessagardiner7663]

This is such an interesting video - fascinating to learn about boat life on the Thames and its communities. I just hope short-term greed doesn't prevail and push them out altogether, what a loss that would be.

[@robertblake1032]

This is often what happens to artist colonies or similar, money people come in and turn alternative living into a cash cow, very sad.

[@lizparker9090]

Beautiful documentary. So so sad to see wonderful close communities destroyed , wiped out by GREED and money.

[@patrickrose1221]

Loved every second . The joy the pain along with the humour. Lovely people lovely film .

[@hughcalder6156]

the complaint that billionaire weekend boat users taking over .. made me laugh.. i am sure the lightermen said the same = when the 1980s ex public school / middle classes turned up?

[@EdwardMendelson]

This is a wonderful documentary. Really captures the romance of the life on water.

[@firstnamesecondname5341]

Whether it’s buy-to-let or private moorings greedy people will always exploit and shove it to the little guy So sad 😞 that it’s this way but; profit, snobbery, superiority, arrogance etc will always win 😢

[@daleskidmore1685]

Enjoyed the film, very interesting stories. It seems to be that London turned its back on the river until someone saw a way to make money from it again. Thank you for sharing.

[@MrJohnkersey]

The first time I looked at Imogen I thought she was beautiful, the second time confirmed it.. Thanks for a wonderful documentary truly brilliant.

[@turbocat1984]

I recognized her from that movie with RIchard E Grant I think?

[@thebirdlady4304]

Wonderful documentary, full of eclectic people, stunning boats, most of which far exceed my 1 bedroom flat in space and aesthetic ✨️

[@digitalsketchguy]

I would love to live on the Thames if only for a year or so. But sadly boat prices and mooring costs are prohibitively expensive in the London area - like everything else.

[@buzzofftoxicblog791]

Best bit of London I lived on a pre war boat river Lee. used to look at Chelsea boats as the place to be! Thank you love this program YES the way to live we are mostly water Buzz #buzzofftoxic

[@brggmc]

Not many videos are so informative, educational, and enjoyable as this one. I feel very pleased and happy to have watched it. Thank You!

[@ThamesFestivalTrust]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@maneki9neko]

@@ThamesFestivalTrust It is quite a 'considered' film. Very balanced in its treatment of all sorts of social problems. I live in a canyon, on the edge of the National Forest, on the edge of the urban sprawl of Los Angeles. And we have elements of what you describe here. A neighbor raises goats & chickens. Another is a bee keeper. Initially no one wanted this land. Houses were were really cheap. The roads are primitive, but they are private. There are no sidewalks or streetlights. The houses are numbered in the order they were built. However it is incredibly quiet, and there is no through traffic. Because of the peace of this place, right on the edge of the city, this little enclave has become valuable, and that will probably undo us someday. These communities are fragile. People build them. They last for a while. And they go.

[@peterbrameld696]

I’m sure this is a fascinating topic, and would really have benefited from a commentary, I consider posts like this as only half done hence the thumbs down

[@georgesutter2256]

Strange that there are so few comments for such a delightful video. Probably a sign of the state of culture these days.

[@GloryDaze73]

The landlords always become greedy. 😢 Such a sad story to witness again.

[@Davidcallard]

A beautiful story. A very few of us choose to walk a different path. They are to be celebrated!

[@williamwurthmann1573]

Being an island lad I fell in love with the ocean. (FOLLY BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA USA) Now at 70 I long for living on the water again. P.O. BOX 5133 Nikolaevsk, Alaska 99556 USA

[@antoncarmoducchi6057]

Looks interesting. Can't stand tha shitty title music.

[@mazdarx7887]

everybody on generators, dump sewer over board and drink bottled water

[@tonyb83]

Facinating BUT all those middle class people spoil it.

[@stillkicking2445]

Does anyone know who sings this song at the beginning of this?

[@AwesomeAngryBiker]

Stop bragging, the video is not about you

[@johnmact5548]

Lovely memories of London when I was a child

[@JohnSmith-zv8km]

amazingly middle maybe upper class

[@williamwoolcock]

Sewer, electricity, fresh water? How are they done? Do they have holding tanks, water tanks, solar panels? Legalities, regulations? I can't believe people poop in the Thames. Must be like Sausalito.

[@tjm3900]

Pump out systems from a holding tank was used for Thames craft even 50 years ago. I imagine is has long been mandatory.

[@markcolyer1989]

Wonderful thanks

[@janecheshire5504]

Excellent documentary on a wonderful lifestyle. We lived on a boat (midlands canals). Found that money changed everything and those second home investors pushed out the real people with a passion for the heritage and upkeep of a traditional system. Thank you. Linked from @NicolaWhite

[@rolandcrombez936]

Thank you for the post.. Living on England's canals is one of my dreams .. Up the CHELS

[@rael5469]

1:46 Now that would be annoying on a daily basis.

[@Bulletguy07]

A really fascinating and enjoyable documentary. My son and daughter-in-law live in London and I love looking at the houseboats moored on the Thames. He thinks they are heaps of junk but he's a snob.....I see beauty and adventure. Maybe the way forward to fight against the profiteers over mooring charges is to club together and purchase a section of mooring?

[@AndyUK-Corrival]

Fantastic documentary. Having lived on a fishing boat I can understand the attraction. One day I might go back to that wonderful life. Imogen Stubbs is a lovely lady too and who would have thought she was brought up on a boat.

[@pmaertens]

I just loved this river life shared exprience

[@SoloBench]

champayne socialist cetral

[@MarinesurveyBiz]

fascinating, a well told story

[@RapunzelinOttawa]

Other people's anecdotes are often boring, but these are dull as well.

[@avalondreaming1433]

Good lord! A 4 year old sent off alone for home on the river! That's child neglect.

[@maneki9neko]

Marvelous.

[@ChristelAderhold]

Hey, this was so interesting I never heart of this ship before. Thank you much for telling us. And I do like the movie you created!

[@brianlopez8855]

Just like caravans, without park site or a mooring, the van or boat is not worth much and tenure is weak and patchy. Very white and middle class now.

[@ladygardener100]

Don't feed bread, get duck food/grain

[@ElevatedThreat]

Outstanding video! So easy to watch, and wonderfully produced!

[@who-gives-a-toss_Bear]

Skip to 2:45 jump the noise.

[@curlyanneb1973]

What is the song he man sings about half way thru. Love it and his voice. Can it be purchased?

[@ThamesFestivalTrust]

Do you mean the soundtrack or the man on the piano?

[@janebrown3587]

Not sure if this is the one you mean, but here's the one that gets to me. Beautiful music and he's handsome, too! Bloch Eyot kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHyapaSfnt2ff5I music.blocheyot.com/track/above-the-storms

[@rob.maramé]

Fascinating documentary. I lived on a Dutch barge in the 70s. Would be good if subtitles were enabled to improve inclusion

[@judithcressey1682]

'Improve inclusion ' please not here - do you mean subtitles for the hard of hearing?

[@karlalton3170]

Great documentary thank you 😁😁👍👍

[@derekelliott3971]

Very nice documentary. Sad in the end but I guess that's just "progress".

[@craigweston5887]

Fell in love with Imogen.

[@nevillemignot1681]

The thing i will never understand about these Video's is why someone wound inflict on others THEIR choice of music on others?

[@ladybearbaiter]

I enjoyed the video.....I think the alternative housing on water in a cozy boat sounds fascinating

[@TheHitmanuk1]

The best Sunday morning I've ever had. Very interesting stories. It also gave me a time to reflect on my own boating life.

[@emmapaignton4765]

I want to live on a boat but can not afford it so I'm handmaking a boat

[@digitalsketchguy]

You're joking right?

[@LifeBetweenTheDash]

Oh I wondered why all these boats were sitting in the mud. It's the changing tide. Wow!

[@ericwilliams2317]

Duh!

[@shedcastle]

Wonderful! ❤

[@t.h.o.r.]

exquisite work- thank you

[@surthrival]

This is THE most beautiful thing...

[@jonnyrocket3659]

a very charming documentary.. so much better to watch than the usual crap on TV

[@KevinMeeds]

Absolutely fascinating...well done.

[@pamelawaring6836]

Great doco! We live aboard a 33foot yacht half a world away in Aotearoa/ New Zealand but the sentiments are shared!

[@mandyellis876]

Whereabouts are you living? At Westhaven?

[@interludo]

Sweet and brilliant piece. Very well done.

[@ThamesFestivalTrust]

Thank you kindly!

[@jilldunbar2319]

Love this story about living on a houseboat....he is delightful and appears to really enjoy it!!

[@mjallenuk]

Excellent story... well told!

[@MrBryanfowler]

Thank you for a great blog. A real interesting family show, wish i could live there instead of the Philippines.

[@raymondnoya5653]

Awesome video well done

[@peterradclyffe8056]

we lived there

[@funsweed]

Live on the west coast of Canada and we have a problem with folks who abandon their vessels when they are beyond repair and the community on shore is left with them . The question then is who pays to have them taken away and cleaned of all pollutants

[@ThamesFestivalTrust]

Oh dear! That's not a big problem in London as far as we're aware and we have the Port of London Authority policing the rivers.

[@keswickcaravan]

It would be a criminal offence here in UK.

[@southjerseysound7340]

masonwatcher-Its a problem there too and it is next to impossible to catch them.All they say is oh I sold that to Jim down the pub last year.

[@tjm3900]

I'm there also. We need some level of government to take some action !

[@emmapaignton4765]

Cost less than £40,000

[@MrAngga80]

Simply wow

[@richardclarke376]

Would love to live on a houseboat with Imogen freaking Stubbs

[@fosterkennel649]

Wonderful video. I have lived on and off boats on San Francisco Bay for most of my life. Also almost 30 years as part of the Sausalito houseboat community ..blessings

[@StephenJPayne]

Very nice. Thanks.

[@geoffs2748]

It's nice to see barge/boat life on the thames is the same around the uk, a must see video.

[@johncourtneidge]

The river of time flows one way. To perdition.

[@carolynellis387]

Always remember Chelsea boaters in the 70's so it seemed so romantic and arty

[@londonskynet]

My dream ...

[@keswickcaravan]

Excellent content - fascinating.

[@steviedieselblood334]

What is the beautiful song in the first 2:57 mins?

[@davidbutler4363]

😁👍👏👏👏

[@RichardHabgood]

6

[@gman922]

All on needs is MONEY!!

[@stacymirba1433]

Why is Tonya Harding in the thumbnail?

[@EdiDrums]

Know what you mean ... but it's not Tonya Harding, figure skater; rather, Imogen Stubbs, actress.

[@normanboyes4983]

Not Bad! ;-)

[@mozdickson]

THANK YOU.

[@desktopstudios5252]

Does anyone know the name of the song

[@ThamesFestivalTrust]

Bloch Eyot 'Magic Folkgrass' album Above the Storms Thames Upstream Long Highway

[@richardgeorge8612]

love this can you tell me what the intro song is please

[@ThamesFestivalTrust]

Hi Richard, this is before my time and I tried to Shazam it with no luck. I will check with the team. Thanks, Darren

[@ThamesFestivalTrust]

Found them! You can buy the album @ music.blocheyot.com/album/magic-folkgrass

[@janebrown3587]

Wonderful videos! Also, a PERFECT choice of opening music soundtrack - please, please, please what is it who is it where can I find it? :) Ooh! I found it and bought it! It gives me goosebumps. I've been playing that specific song over and over.

[@servicarrider]

I could enjoy this life. I think that I would fit right in because I am not quite right in the head either. I would have liked to of known Imogene when the two of us were teenagers.