Historic Vessels, Trinity Buoy Wharf

'Diana' built in 1890.

Not only is Trinity Buoy Wharf home to historic buildings and home to various artists and sculptures, but it also home to some historic vessels. These vessels are of national importance, so it is important that they are preserved.

DIANA

'Diana' is a rivetted steel/wrought-iron Thames Lighter built in 1890 by unknown London builders. She is typical of many hundreds of 'barges' used on the River Thames, canals, tributaries, docks and the  Port of London for the transport of cargo, aggregates and supplies between wharves, warehouses and ships.

Usually towed singly or in large groups by river or dock tugs, they were also hand rowed by one man going with the tide, this is known as ‘barge driving’ and is still celebrated in the annual Thames Barge Driving Match.

'Knocker White' built in 1924.

KNOCKER WHITE

'Knocker White' is a Dutch-built tugboat, but was originally the steam tug 'Cairnrock'. She was built by T.Van Duijvendijk’s yard at Lekkerkek near Rotterdam, for Harrisons (London) Lighterage Limited, in 1924. The steam engine came from Crabtree & Co. while the boiler came from Blair & Co. Limited They were fitted at Fellow’s & Co. Limited’s dry dock, Great Yarmouth. 

In the early years of the vessel’s history, the 'Cairnrock' was used to tow Harrisons’ floating steam-powered coal elevator 'Wotan' around the lower reaches of the River Thames. The tug was designed for general towage work and had the ability to 'drop-down' her funnel for up-river work, that required passing under the bridges.

'Knocker White' built in 1924.

In 1960, the tug was acquired by Alfred White and then passed to W E White and Sons (Towage) Limited, in 1962. It was at this time that the tug’s name was changed and the original engine and boiler removed. Two 'Petters' marine diesel engines were fitted with their associated fuel tanks. Alterations were also made to the wheelhouse, with an external forward companionway, that provided separate access to the main cabin. The original funnel was replaced by another drop-down funnel, made in around 1943, which was removed from the steam tug 'Pinklake'.

She is now preserved as a museum ship.

'Lightship LV95', built in 1939.

Government Code & Cypher School (and a hidden message)

During World War I the British Army and Royal Navy both had separate intelligence agencies. Military Intelligence 1b, MI1(b) and Naval Intelligence Department 25, NID25, respectively. NID25 was initially known as Room 40, or 40 O.B., with O.B. referring to 'old building'. 

Following the conclusion of World War I the Cabinet's Secret Service Committee recommended that a peacetime codebreaking agency should be created. Lord Curzon, chairman of the Cabinet's Secret Service Committee, tasked Hugh Sinclair, Director of Naval Intelligence, with creating the new department.

Hugh Sinclair merged staff from NID25 with MI1(b), with the new agency consisting of between 25-30 officers, with roughly the same amount of clerical staff. Victor Forbes, of the Foreign Office, chose the cover-name 'Government Code & Cypher School (GC&CS).

The Government Code & Cypher School moved into Watergate House, Adelphi, with the Admiralty's Alastair Denniston, previously an NID25 officer, as its operational head. 

Its public directive was "to advise as to the security of codes and cyphers used by all Government departments and to assist in their provision". However, it also had a secret directive: "study the methods of cypher communications used by foreign powers".

Although officially formed on November 1, 1919, the Government Code & Cypher School produced its first decryption on October 19, 1919.

In 1921 the offices moved to the Broadway Buildings, opposite St James's Park, in the same building as the SIS, and came under the supervision of Hugh Sinclair. At the time Hugh Sinclair was Chief of SIS and Director of GC&CS.

On February 14, 2019, HM Queen Elizabeth II unveiled a City of Westminster plaque to mark the centenary of GCHQ.

However, keeping with the codebreaking, communications and cypher work of GCHQ, the plaque contains a hidden message, which most people don't even realise. 

Can you uncover the hidden message?

If you can't figure it out, there is a clue below. 

Various characters, on the plaque, have a dot or dash beneath them. 

If you find them all it reveals the message... 

Highlight the space between the quotation marks, below, to uncover the answer.

"1 HUNDRED YEARS"

So, did you work it out, or did you cheat?

Harold Stabler's Decorative Tiles on the London Underground

Hertfordshire.

Every station on the London Underground may appear to have a uniform style, internally, but, depending on when the station was built, it will have its own aesthetic. Exteriors, again, depend on the architect, the year it was opened and its location.

Baker Street, for instance, has tiles carrying the profile of Sherlock Holmes.

However, unique to five underground stations are relief tiles that are randomly placed, not all at eye level, depicting coats of arms, animals, buildings and even a portrait. The tiles are the same colour as the surrounding tiles, so as not to break up the uniformity of the style, but, once you spot them you can't stop looking for them.

Thomas Lord (1755-1832), English cricketer.

There are eighteen distinct tiles, spread across five underground stations. Although some have been repaired or replaced, the originals are easy to spot as they are usually marked with Stabler's signature 'S', somewhere on the tile.

Walking with Keilyn: Victory in Europe 80 Celebrations (VE-Day 80)

Monday May 5, 2025.

With the Victory in Europe 80th Celebrations getting  underway, today, Keilyn and I set off to enjoy the festivities. A taxi took us to Watford Underground station, where we boarded a Baker Street-bound train. My mum and uncle Martin had left earlier in the morning, heading for The Mall and St James's Park, in order to see the procession and catch the flypast from there. We changed at Finchley Road and caught a Jubilee line train, to Green Park, as Keilyn thought it would nice to catch up to mum and Martin. 

On exiting Green Park station we were herded, like cattle, down the east path towards The Mall. Vendors were selling Union flags and other merchandise, as the crowds flowed in both directions. On reaching The Mall we were given VE Day flags and then realised that there was no way we would see anything and, with my mum and Martin on the other side of the road, we retraced our steps, heading for Piccadilly.

Photo © Keilyn J A Morrissey.

Heading east, along Piccadilly, we made our way against the throng of people still heading to Green Park, before we reached Piccadilly Circus. To our surprise Piccadilly Circus was deserted of people, so we headed towards Leicester Square, stopping at Greggs to pick some nourishment, which we ate in an almost deserted Leicester Square. 

Once we had eaten we had our photos taken with Mr Bean and Paddington Bear, before heading along Irving Street and, after crossing Charing Cross Road, followed William IV Street to Strand. Again the roads were fairly clear, so we headed down Adam Street, where Keilyn had her photo taken outside the door of Number 10, before we turned down John Adam Street, heading for York Buildings.

At the end of York Buildings, on the left-hand side, is a lovely building which was the first home of GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters). A green plaque, affixed to the wall, tells us this. However, if you look at the plaque closely, it contains a hidden message, that many people miss. Can you work it out?

We then entered Victoria Embankment Gardens, beside the York Watergate, and headed for Kippo's Coffee & Gelato, as I was in need of a coffee, while Keilyn was aching for a hot chocolate. With drinks in hand we walked along Victoria Embankment, before climbing the steps to Waterloo Bridge. Our vantage point from where we would watch the flypast.

As we still had time, we crossed the bridge and visited the National Theatre, checking out the view from its terraces and using the facilities. We then headed back up onto Waterloo Bridge, which was starting to fill up with people eager to see the flypast. We found a spot, almost in the centre of the bridge, and waited. I was glad that we had dressed for the weather, as the wind began to pick up and, off beyond Canary Wharf, we could see rain falling from the clouds. We all hoped that it would pass around us, which it did, fortunately. While we waited we took pleasure in waving at the tourists on the boats, passing below us, cheering when they waved back.

I had written a list of the order of the aeroplanes taking part in the flypast, which Keilyn read from as the BBMF Lancaster came into view. Then followed a Voyager and an A400m Atlas, a C-17 Globemaster III, a P-8 Poseidon with Two Typhoons, an RC-135 Rivet Joint with 2 F-35B Lightnings, the Red Arrows brought up the rear with 4 Typhoons.

The flypast took just over 5 minutes, but was really impressive to watch... and hear.

Marlborough Road (former) Underground Station

Marlborough Road (former) Underground station building.

If you travel on the Metropolitan line, between Finchley Road and Baker Street, you will pass through three closed stations. Although difficult to see and with much of the infrastructure now removed, they are Lord's, Swiss Cottage and Marlborough Road. The latter is the easiest to see and is used to evacuate the Metropolitan line, should the need arise.

Marlborough Road is in an open section of the line, which was built using the cut-and-cover method, with the station building still surviving.

Marlborough Road Southbound platform (taken from a Metropolitan line train).

Located at the junction of Finchley Road and Queen's Grove, Marlborough Road station opened on April 13, 1868 as part of the first northward extension, from Baker Street, of the Metropolitan Railway.

The Metropolitan began to suffer from passenger congestion, at its southern end, resulting in new deep-level tunnels being constructed between Baker Street's Bakerloo line tunnels and Finchley Road.