A Long-Overdue Tribute

So, Old Ken is not going to lie. I've been busy, and more recently, I've been sick. That's right, following a barbeque on the aptly-named Isle of Dogs, I picked up a nasty stomach bug from someone's snot-nosed ankle-biter and spent the entirety of yesterday (just like everyone else who attended said BBQ) working on my projectile vomiting technique. Did I manage to barf on the door? You bet!



Thus, while recovering from my illness, I thought I'd ease myself back into the bloggin' habit by sharing with you my favorite river: the Quaggy. I am largely quoting the sign posted above here, as it it is both fun and educational: "The River Quaggy is fed from two streams near Orpington. It flows for 13 km through the boroughs of Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham where it joins the River Ravensbourne."



"Until 1849," so the sign continues, "the Quaggy meandered through the countryside. Then the railways came, bringing people, buildings and pollution. To protect buildings flooding, the river was increasingly put into concrete." This is, I would note, something of an exaggeration as—so far as Old Ken can tell—the entirety of the Quaggy's river bottom is paved.



"In the 1990s, after lobbying by the Quaggy Waterways Action Group (QWAG)," our old friend the sign tells us, "a new method of flood protection was agreed. Storm water will be stored in specially landscaped parks and green spaces. The hope for the future is that the approach will enable the entire river to become a haven for wildlife and an attractive, recereational and educational amenity for people." From a few glances around the delicious riparian environs of Lewisham, I can do little more than quote from our genius-head president: Mission Accomplished!