Downstream

Today the Thames is, after
the sea, our second favourite
open-water place to swim in,
according to the charity
Swimathon, and the most
common things we do while
we swim are: relax, think
about the day and sing. The
river has a magnetic draw
over anyone who likes to
bathe, although there has
always been conflict between
its various users, and now, at
least officially, we can’t swim