Checking changes to Tower Bridge’s lifting times to see if anything interesting is arriving, and saw a new notice about something called “The Dart” being accompanied though Tower Bridge with a tug.
Some hunting around suggests that The Dart isn’t some super yacht or large ship – but a wide flat floating deck.
Tower Bridge only opens when it has to because what ever passing below can’t fit – and that floating platform would easily fit underneath.
So – I would expect something very large and tall to be sitting on the floating platform and will be dragged up the river very early this morning then loiter around the area during the day.
Of course, it could be tediously mundane, but the lack of detail is half the fun of keeping an eye on these sorts of things.
The Bridge opening times will be:
04:00 The Dart + Tug
13:15 The Dart + Tug
18:30 The Dart + Tug
22:00 The Dart + Tug
Update: It was confirmed to be last night that it is an Olympic rings publicity stunt – but I wasn’t allowed to say anything as it was under press embargo. The rings will be dragged down the river from Battersea to the Thames Barrier, then back again this evening.
I believe the Olympic rings will be towed upstream before March is out. I think it has to be done before election campaigning begins, which doesn’t leave much of a window. So it might be that.
A set of illuminated Olympic rings are currently sitting on a barge in the lock at KGV dock – not sure if the barge is the DART but joining the dots it seems possible that this could be for the event tomorrow.
…and seeing as today (28Feb2012) is 150 days till the London2012, seems like an appropriately round number for such an event 🙂
Giant Olympic rings launched on the Thames – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17189296
Tediously dull it was then.