Ever wanted to whip down the Thames, passing the iconic sites at top speed reminiscent of that James Bond scene? Then you need to get your butt on the Thames Rockets as I did last Friday evening.
The docking place for the Thames Rocket’s is hard to miss because it is in front of the famous London Eye, which is just the first of London’s iconic structures you’ll see on this trip. Say what you want about London but we have some stunning architecture! After throwing on our surprisingly comfortable and discreet life jackets and a quick heath and safety run down it was time to board the boat. I was joined on my trip by Haydy of Squibb Vicious? who had hilariously told me during dinner that she was scared of boats! The perfect trip then…
The Thames Rocket is essentially a kitted out speed boat, and boy can this one go fast! We were introduced to our skilful skipper Nick and hilarious and knowledgeable guide James. The boat first headed west down the river past Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament before heading east up the river passing famous sites such as the Oxo Tower, The Shard and passing under Tower Bridge all with interesting facts and humorous quips from our guide along the way. We’d chosen the Thames Lates Trip which meant we started out our trip as the sun was coming down and by the time we were near the famous city buildings it was dark and they were lit up in all their glory. It was so perfectly timed I’d definitely recommend choosing this tour but if it’s not for you they run all day too.
Once we were well past London Bridge our guide took his seat and the fun really began! Suddenly music pumped out of surprisingly powerful speakers I hadn’t even noticed as the speed boat took after its name and we hit 35 miles an hour (trust me it feels faster) as we rocketed (get it) around the river performing hairpin turns all with the city buildings in the background. I felt just like an extra in a high-speed chase, it was so exhilarating and the musical accompaniment was completely perfect. I honestly don’t think I’ve laughed so much in a long time and too soon it was over. Still giggling as our heartbeats came back to normality we were given cocktails to sip as we headed back to our start point near the London Eye. A perfect ending to a great trip.
