I am aware that it’s been a few weeks now, since I last published a London Shoes blog – there’s been no specific reason for this hiatus other than the fact that sometime ‘life’ annoyingly, gets in the way of stuff we intend to do.
So – it was really pleasing for my London Shoes to be back on-the-road last week, and for that occasion I headed off down to the River Thames for a specific purpose of checking out a new nautical visitor to the ‘Smoke’.
Now – I never realised that the iconic Tower Bridge, opens/lifts up anything between 10 to 15 times per week (roughly twice per day) – to enable taller ships/boats to sail further down the River Thames – I never knew it was that frequent.
Anyway – one of its openings last week was necessary to herald the arrival of HMS Sutherland – the Royal Navy’s fastest warships – that is visiting London for a couple of weeks.
HMS Sutherland is a Type 23 Frigate – one of the more advanced warships of the Royal Navy Fleet – and is currently based at Devonport-Plymouth.
The 133 metre long warship, was launched in 1996 and the purpose of its visit to London was to mark its return to full service following a multi-million-pound overhaul that has taken 4 years to complete. The current renovation work should potentially keep the vessel in service until the 2030’s.
The prime activity of HMS Sutherland is to track and hunt down enemy submarines or any enemy equipment that may be tampering with underwater power lines and stuff like that.
In its life to date, HMS Sutherland has seen quite a bit of action – particularly throughout the 2003 invasion of Iraq where she spent her time patrolling the Persian Gulf, and escorting oil tankers.
She’s also been deployed in locations such as the Falkland Islands / Libya / the South China Sea’s – plus many more far-flung places around the globe – and in 2017 she had the honour of escorting the Royal Navy’s prestigious ‘HMS Queen Elizabeth’ aircraft carrier when she embarked on sea trials.
HMS Sutherland, nicknamed ‘The Fighting Clan’ – is also viewed as an essential item of NATO’s armoury – and as it sailed under Tower Bridge last week, its 122 crew dressed in formal uniform, lined its decks as a lone Army piper played “Scotland the Brave”.
The plan is for HMS Sutherland to be fully operational very soon and recommence its anti-submarine patrols – making full use of all its new technology.
However, for her brief visit to London, HMS Sutherland is moored up alongside the Thames other famous nautical landmark ‘HMS Belfast’.
As this sort of visitor to London doesn’t happen very often, my London Shoes decided to pop down and take a closer look at one of the Royal Navy’s finest warships.
So – under gloriously sunny London skies, my London Shoes walked from Tower Hill tube station – down to the Tower of London – across Tower Bridge, where, I took a few distance photos of HMS Sutherland and HMS Belfast – then crossed London Bridge, where I took a few more distance shots – then from the northern shores of the River, I ambled back towards Tower Bridge, taking some more full-on un-obscured photos of this fine HMS Sutherland warship.
By the time I’d done that enjoyable little jaunt, I felt in need of some liquid refreshment and a bag of pork scratchings and so decided to wander off in a direction north-east of the Tower of London – to Dock Street-E1 where I stumbled upon a lovely little pub called the ‘Sir Sydney Smith’.
There’s been a pub on this site since 1809. Its named after a British Admiral who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 1920’s the brewery owners Truman Hanbury Buxton, renovated the exterior of the building make the pub more attractive to a different class of punter, rather than just the dockers and dock workers that frequented it.
In 1998 it was re-named ‘The Pepper Pot’, but in 2016 it reverted to being the Sir Sydney Smith again.
Although the building has been redeveloped and refurbished many times throughout its 200-year history – there are still numerous references to its past dock worker history displayed on its walls and throughout the pub.
Anyway – hope you enjoyed this short but sweet blog article along with its accompanying photos – and hopefully my London Shoes will now get back to its usual weekly publishing ways from hereon in.
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See below the entire gallery of photos accompanying this blog article
The 1996 launched HMS Sutherland is a 133 metre long ‘Type 2’3 frigate – one of the more advanced warships of the Royal Navy Fleet –
Tower Bridge is raised/lifted last week to allow the HMS Sutherland to sail down the River Thames to the site of HMS Belfast – where she will be moored for a couple of weeks. (imaged sourced from another website)
As viewed from Tower Bridge – HMS Sutherland moored up alongside the famous and long standing London landmark, the HMS Belfast
Tower Bridge – just one location to view (from a distance) London’s newest nautical visitor – the HMS Sutherland – currently moored up next to HMS Belfast
A bit of a closer view of HMS Sutherland alongside HMS Belfast – as viewed from Tower Bridge
Me – on Tower Bridge – the ideal location to take a few (distance) photos of HMS Sutherland
Another view of HMS Sutherland – this time from the southern banks of the River Thames
The prime activity of HMS Sutherland and its 122 crew – is to track and hunt down enemy submarines or any enemy equipment that may be tampering with underwater power lines and stuff like that.
Long standing nautical London landmark ‘HMS Belfast’ moored off the southern shores of the River Thames – the HMS Sutherland is currently moored up alongside it – but not fully visible from the South Bank
The Union Jack flying high from HMS Belfast
A view of the City of London from the southern banks of the River Thames nearby where HMS Belfast and currently HMS Sutherland are moored up
A view of the Tower of London from the southern banks of the River Thames nearby to where HMS Belfast and currently HMS Sutherland are moored up
HMS Sutherland (alongside HMS Belfast) as viewed from London Bridge
London Shoes – on London Bridge, with HMS Sutherland (alongside HMS Belfast) in the distance
A closer view of HMS Sutherland (alongside HMS Belfast) as viewed from London Bridge……on a busy River Thames
An even closer view of HMS Sutherland (alongside HMS Belfast) – as seen from London Bridge
A view of HMS Sutherland – this time from the northern shores of the River Thames
A closer view of HMS Sutherland – from the northern shores of the River Thames
London Shoes – on the northern banks of the River Thames – with HMS Sutherland in the background
HMS Sutherland has a crew of approx 122 – Here are just some on deck
Another view of HMS Sutherland – from the northern shores of the River Thames
London Shoes – on the steps leading down to the River – from the northern banks of the River Thames
Following my trek out to take a look at HMS Sutherland, my London Shoes felt in need of some liquid refreshment and so decided to wander off in a direction north-east of the Tower of London – to Dock Street-E1 where I stumbled upon a lovely little pub called the ‘Sir Sydney Smith’.
There’s been a pub on the Dock Street site since 1809. The pub is named after a British Admiral who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
A different street view of the Sir Sydney Smith pub – Dock Street-London E1
In the 1920’s the brewery owners Truman Hanbury Buxton, renovated the exterior of the Sir Sydney Smith pub building in an attempt to try and make the establishment more attractive to a different class of punter, rather than just the dockers and dock workers that frequented it.
Inside the ‘Sir Sydney Smith’ pub in Dock Street-London E1
Although the building has been redeveloped and refurbished many times throughout its 200-year history – there are still numerous references to its past dock worker history displayed on its walls and throughout the pub.
Inside the ‘Sir Sydney Smith’ pub in Dock Street-London E1
Inside the ‘Sir Sydney Smith’ pub in Dock Street-London E1
Inside the ‘Sir Sydney Smith’ pub in Dock Street-London E1
London Shoes – inside the ‘Sir Sydney Smith’ pub in Dock Street-E1
Inside the ‘Sir Sydney Smith’ pub in Dock Street-London E1
A luverlee pint of cool Guinness – jus begging to be consumed – in the ‘Sir Sydney Smith’ pub in Dock Street-London E1
Me – knocking back a refreshing pint of Guinness – in the ‘Sir Sydney Smith’ pub in Dock Street-London E1
Thank you, that Guinness looked good, thank you for the history, my neighbour dated a lady from London in the 70s some where at the bottom of the Thames is her engagement ring 💍 😀
Its probably been washed up on the shores and nabbed by a ‘mudlarker’ now !!
Thank you for your latest Shoes blog, as you say short and sweet but interesting as always, and what a sight that must have been with the crew n their formal uniform and the piper playing and on such a beautiful day. Nobody does it better when it comes to ceremony with meaning than our country, just my personal opinion of course🫡
Great article Geoff . I was worried you’d gone on strike as Labour now controlling London !!!
My Tony will be envious. We did a trip on the Waverley once just so that we could sail under Tower Bridge but the weather was awful – wet and cold in October. It couldn’t have been worse.
The HMS Sutherland made the news today (19th May 25) as the location where the Prime Minister was hosting the EU leaders.
Great article Geoff . I was worried you’d gone on strike as Labour are now controlling London !
If only walls could talk ! Imagine that Sir Sydney Smith pub full of dockworkers / sailors . Must have been buzzing
Twice a day, on average. Well, well. Like you, I’d never have guessed it was as often as that.
Yet another enjoyable Shoes excursion! Thanks for sharing. The Guinness looks good, too.
Guinness is always good Brian :-))