The Thames river, which flows through London, has always meant a great deal to me. Like many Londoners, I am drawn to the river, and much of my work over the years has been centred on the South Bank. Every day the Thames shows a different face, and on the day I wrote Thames Blues, it had a stately melancholy, and was glistening silver-blue. At the time of writing, it is Spring 2007, and I am presently spending most of my time by the banks of the river, finishing the build of an ocean-going sailing catamaran: a labour of love.