New Programme of Talks from Chiswick Pier Trust
Season starts with 'They're Bombing the Docks!' by Chris Everett
A Dockyard Fire by Paul Nash 1940
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Chiswick Pier Trust launches new programme of talks with free webinar
-Talks by the Thames returns on-line on -
Chiswick Pier Trust has moved its popular river-based talks, Talks by the Thames, on line. The new programme kicks off with They're Bombing the Docks!, a talk by historian Chris Everett looking at the largely undocumented history of the Thames during World War II.
The free webinar takes place on Tuesday 23 February at 7.30pm.
The London Docks were the target of the first day of the blitz on September 7 1940. By far the largest port near to Europe - and therefore the most vulnerable - was London. On Black Saturday, the massed aerial attack by over 300 bombers with 600 fighter escorts inflicted havoc along a 40 mile stretch of the Thames industrial shoreline and its riverside communities. Over 400 Londoners died that first night.
A canteen at the Port of London
London had been bombed by airship and aeroplane in World War I, and the assessment afterwards was that the 'bomber will always get through'. So how should London and its essential docks prepare? This talk examines how successful those plans were, looks at the experiences of the civilian workforce involved on the river and in the docks within the context of London, still capital of The British Empire, during those six years of the Second World War.
This webinar is free, although any donations would be very gratefully received to support the work of Chiswick Pier Trust. To register for the Eventbrite link go to www.chiswickpiert.org.uk. There's also a free newsletter for info on further talks and events.
The Chiswick Pier Trust runs the Chiswick Pier and Pier House. In this role it manages the commercial and residential moorings at the Pier, as well as venue and conference hire at Pier House.
The trust works to engage people with the River Thames. It provides access to the Thames and support major river events, as well as organising events of its own. It also hosts an annual season of 'Talks by the Thames' which highlight the history, wildlife and ecology of the Thames.
For further information on the Pier and how to get there, contact the Chiswick Pier Trust 020 8742 2713, or check their web site.
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February 7, 2021
