The spaceship has landed

Place: Thames River, near Blackfriar's Bridge, London.
Date: Friday July 11, 2008.
Camera: Panasonic DMC-TZ3.

Can you guess what it is yet? Because it's certainly stumped me. And judging by the number of pedestrians walking over Blackfriar's Bridge or along Jubilee Walk stopping for a look, there are plenty of others as perplexed and fascinated by this mysterious object sitting in the middle of the Thames as I am.

It's been there for about two weeks now, and always seems to be alive with activity. Men wearing hard hats dash about on the platform, and there's usually a boat or two nearby ferrying workman to and from it.

This morning when I walked past I noticed it seems to have moved overnight. It was sitting much closer to the rail bridge (pictured there on the right) than the road bridge (on the left). Then, tonight, it had inched closer to the middle of the river than the southern bank where it had previously resided. How on earth does a big heavy thing like that move?

I'd really like to know what the whole thing is about. Are they drilling for something? Is it testing water quality? Riverbed quality? Is it seeking dead bodies? I mean the imagination could really take off here. I'm sure it's something exceedingly dull, but inquiring minds want to know!

Comments

[lottie]

Isn't it an oddity. I saw some chaps being winched onto it in a dinghy the other morning. As far as I know, it is for the preliminary work for the Blackfriars station extension - there's going to be another entrance on the Southbank above the arch just by this scene, and I think that those redundant bridge supports are going to be put back into use!

[kimbofo]

Hey Lottie, thanks for the info... V. interesting! I've seen that dinghy a few times... it looks like a toy.