I happen to be on the mailing list for maritime notices from the Port of London Authority.

Most are about regulations about using the river. However, some are useful as a “this area is to be closed off” type alert often lets me know that Something Interesting is going to happen, that I then sometimes add to the events diary if they sound like people might be interested in watching the event.

They also tend to be useful for river based fireworks as I have advance notice of where the barge will be moored – so can have a sort of insider knowledge of the best spot to get the best view of the barge.

Anyhow – today came the alerts for various gun salutes fired from the Tower of London which need the nearby river to be closed off. There are others during the year, but these are the Big Ones.

Sat    06 February       1pm   HM Queen's Accession to the throne
Wed    03 March          noon  State Visit
Wed    21 April          1pm   Birthday of HM Queen
TBC    May               noon  Election
Wed    02 June           1pm   HM Queen's Coronation
Thur   10 June           1pm   Birthday of HRH Duke of Edinburgh
Sat    12 June           1pm   Official Birthday of HM Queen
TBC    Jul/Aug/Sept/Oct  TBC   State Visit
TBC    November          noon  State Opening of Parliament
Mon    15 November       1pm   Birthday of HRH Prince of Wales

OK, they don’t know the exact date in May, but does the PLA have some secret inside knowledge that the General Election is definitely set for May?

For the avoidance of doubt, I guess they probably just put the note in the calendar and chose May as it is the most likely month, and they don’t really know the date any more than the rest of us.

Incidentally, is it normal for the Tower to fire a gun salute during a General Election?

NEWSLETTER

Be the first to know what's on in London, and the latest news published on ianVisits.

You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails.

Tagged with: , ,
SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE

This website has been running now for over a decade, and while advertising revenue contributes to funding the website, it doesn't cover the costs. That is why I have set up a facility with DonorBox where you can contribute to the costs of the website and time invested in writing and research for the news articles.

It's very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising.

Whether it's a one-off donation or a regular giver, every additional support goes a long way to covering the running costs of this website, and keeping you regularly topped up doses of Londony news and facts.

If you like what you read on here, then please support the website here.

Thank you

2 comments
  1. I doubt they normally fire a salute for the election per se, but regardless of the outcome there will presumably have to be a further State Opening of Parliament and Queen’s Speech after the election, which would get a salute. I’d have thought, in fact, there’d be a strong chance of no State Opening in November and that we’d get an 18 month parliament.

  2. Mitch says:

    Hopefully yes… with the entire government standing in front of the barrel!!!! 🙂

Home >> News >> Politics