We have been running Thames foreshore education sessions for 33 years a have long-standing agreement with the PLA (Port of London Authority) to conduct school, university, adult and family sessions on the foreshore, you therefore do not need your own permit on one of our sessions.

We do everything we can to keep our visitors safe and we have a very low accident record over many years.  The Trust has public liability insurance, a child protection policy and we comply with Health and Safety Executive regulations. We follow ‘good practice’ for operating procedures and staff training.  All staff have enhanced DBS checks.

Tickets are booked via Eventbrite and paid for using PayPal however you do not need a PayPal account. Just click on the PayPal logo under “Purchase Tickets” and you have the option to pay with a debit or credit card. If this does not work, please try another web browser or computer.

Eventbrite sometimes does not send out a ticket. Check your junk mail in the first instance. If you still cannot find it, check your bank account for the debit. If you cannot see a debit, you will not have a ticket issued to you (unless you have been issued a complimentary ticket). If you are worried, contact the office and we will see if your name is on the attendee list -  our staff on the day has the same list.

In our experience it is not possible to cater for an audience as diverse as (under) 8 to (over) 80, so sadly, no under 8s. Children over 8 are welcome, however their safety remains your responsibility at all times.

The only way to attend one of our events is via ticket. If you cannot see a ticket for sale, it is most likely that the event is sold out. For health and safety reasons and to comply with our insurance, we cannot exceed the maximum number of 25 participants. Please do not bring a friend with you on spec they most probably will not be able to join you.

As waiting lists can be in excess of 30 people it is almost impossible for us to keep track of individual requests for ticket cancellations. We are hoping that Eventbrite will automate this process at some point, although this is currently not the case.

Booking is essential and limited to 25 people. Children must be accompanied by an adult (minimum age for children is 8 years) with a maximum of 2 children per adult.

Please note the following before booking:

• Refund request must be made before the event takes place.
• In the event that Thames Explorer Trust (TET) is forced to cancel you will recieve a full refund - we will endeavour to contact you with as much notice as possible via the contact details you gave at the point of booking.
• To cancel tickets, you must email office@thames-explorer.org.uk
• You will receive a full refund if your cancelation request is received seven or more days before the event.
• You will receive a 50% refund if your request is received with less than seven days before the event - this includes cancellations concerning illness, transport or unfavourable weather.

Please also see the section below "What if the weather is bad? "

 

Very few of our outings are cancelled due to bad weather and we go out in a mixture of rain and shine so do not automatically assume that an event is cancelled because of a weather forecast. If we feel it is necessary to cancel an event, we will endeavour to contact you via the details you left on booking, therefore keep an eye on your text messages and emails near the event. On a very few occasions, we have been forced to cancel an event at the point of entering the foreshore. Disappointing as this may be, your guide will have good experience of foreshore safety (and of the limits of our insurance) so please respect their decision.

As a rough guide, these are the main weather conditions where we may need to contact you:

1. Snow and ice, making the ground treacherous
2. Heavy fog, severely restricting visibility of the group by our staff
3. Lightning
4. Amber weather warnings
5. Yellow weather warnings, although we tend to go out in these. For a yellow weather warning, we may need to use a different foreshore, for instance because step access might be safer.

 

Thames Explorer uses several foreshores. Please see booking page for details of meeting points.

Please check the meeting point carefully at the time of booking. TET staff should be wearing a yellow high viz vest with the Thames Explorer logo, otherwise look for a group of people at the meeting point.

Our staff will deliver an introductory talk at the meeting point, or very nearby, which lasts approximately 30-40 minutes so check this first. The talk not only orientates you with your surroundings, local history and the type of artefacts you might find, it crucially offers essential safety advice. If you miss, the safety talk, and the group has departed, look for a group of people on the foreshore nearby. You may choose to go on to the foreshore to check however you do this at your own risk.

Except in emergencies our staff will be at the meeting point to greet you. In the unlikely event that they are unable to be there AND unable to communicate their absence to the office (and therefore us to you) please:

1. check you are in the right location - look for the group on the foreshore
2. call the office (Note: our phones are generally not be manned at the weekend)
3. wait 30 mins

If there is still nobody there or nearby please contact Thames Explorer by email office@thames-explorer.org.uk and you will be issued with a full refund. We will also let you know what happened.

 

Waterborne diseases can be a risk therefore it is important that those with open cuts or eczema have them covered and that all participants keep their hands away from their faces and refrain from eating or drinking on the foreshore – children should be closely supervised.  You should wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and especially before eating and drinking. If you prefer to wear waterproof gloves then please bring these with you.

This is a bacterial infection transmitted through contact with animal urine and contaminated water.  There is a small possibility of contracting this disease when in contact with river water. In most cases the disease is only mild but in serious cases it can be life-threatening and symptoms should not be ignored.  Early symptoms are flu-like and include headaches, chills, high temperature, vomiting and muscle pains.  If you experience any of these symptoms within 3 weeks of visiting the river foreshore inform your doctor, referencing river water and Weil’s Disease. Tests are available and early treatment can limit the severity of the infection.

The ground can be uneven and slippery and the amount of mud can vary. The general advice is to wear either Wellington boots, walking boots, old shoes or trainers. Note that your footwear is liable to become muddy and scuffed. No crocs or open toed sandals.

Be aware that the foreshore is very exposed and can be subject to much colder or hotter conditions than the rest of the city.

Beyond the fact that some people do not like dogs, there is a crucial reason not to bring your dog: many dogs like nothing more than a swim however, the current in the Thames is fast and your dog will likely be swept away. This may in turn endanger you as you try to rescue them, therefore, we ask you not to bring your dog.

Following the PLA's regulations, if you do you not have a permit you are not allowed to remove items from the foreshore. You can visit the foreshore with our permit, but our permit does not allow you to remove objects. If you have your own permit and wish to remove objects, you are still subject to legal (and moral) considerations - it is against the PLA's rules for anyone to make a profit from objects found on the foreshore. Assuming you have a permit you have the right to remove an object however, on our walks, we request that you do not unless it is absolutely necessary. Removal of objects on our walks by permit holders tends to create bad feelings with non-permit holders.

Both permit holders and non-permit holders are under obligation to report objects of interest to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) for assessment. On finding something of interest, please report it to the Thames Explorer leader. They will ask you to complete a short form to log the find. The form tells you how to go about reporting the object as well as allowing Thames Explorer to monitor the reporting process. Having submitted an object to the PAS for consideration the object will either be retained by the museum or given back to you.

Any object over 50 years old requires an export license.