Hounslow Highways provide skips for a river clearing day

Hounslow Highways provided two skips (one for organic and one for non-organic waste) to help the Tidal Crane Association with their annual river clearing day.

On Saturday 29 June in North St Margarets, Twickenham, residents whose homes back onto the river gathered for a health and safety brief before climbing into the river Crane to gather rubbish.

The rubbish was then floated on one of the resident’s boats back to the skips. The rubbish varied from tin cans and bottles to corrugated metal and building waste, plus the odd inevitable supermarket trolley.

The residents were able to utilise the organic waste skip and cut back overhanging branches from trees and clear Himalayan Balsam, an invasive plant currently smothering native species along the banks.

An organised family tea and river dipping session followed, with a barbeque to end the day.

The Tidal Crane Association was founded over 35 years ago with the first River Clearing Day taking place in 1977. Hilary Thomson, Secretary of the Tidal Crane Association said: “Our annual river clearing keeps this beautiful Thames tributary looking good for everyone to enjoy. It’s also a great way to involve the whole riverside community in an enjoyable, fun day. Hounslow Council and now Hounslow Highways have supported us with skips for as far back as we can remember, and river clearing simply wouldn’t be possible without their support.”