"the direction of the Swan Marker are left unmarked, except for a lightweight ring linked to the database of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Those caught by the Dyers and Vintners receive a similar ring on the other leg. Originally, rather than being ringed, swans' bills would be nicked using a metal implement, a practice reflected in the pub name ""The Swan with Two Necks"" in the City connected with the Vintners, a corruption of ""The Swan with Two Nicks"". On 20 July 2009, Queen Elizabeth II, as ""Seigneur of the Swans,"" attended the Swan Upping ceremony for the"
"Swan Upping Swan upping is an annual ceremony in England in which mute swans on the River Thames are rounded up, caught, ringed, and then released. By prerogative right, the British Crown enjoys ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water. Rights over swans may, however, be granted to a subject by the Crown (accordingly they may also be claimed by prescription.) The ownership of swans in a given body of water was commonly granted to landowners up to the 16th century. The only bodies still to exercise such rights are two livery companies of the City of London."
"first time in her reign. This was the first time that the monarch had personally watched the ceremony in centuries. In 2012, exceptional high river flows for summer prompted a partial cancellation: between Sunbury-on-Thames and Windsor, the first definitively known cancellation (albeit partial) in its 900-year history. Swan Upping Swan upping is an annual ceremony in England in which mute swans on the River Thames are rounded up, caught, ringed, and then released. By prerogative right, the British Crown enjoys ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water. Rights over swans may, however, be granted to a subject by"
"Marker of the Swans Marker of the Swans, or ""Swan Marker"", is an office in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The role dates back to the twelfth century and through the years its title has changed from Master, Keeper, and in 1993, to Swan Marker. The new post of Swan Warden was also created at this time. The Queen's Swan Marker still organises the annual event of Swan Upping on the River Thames. Apart from Swan Upping, The Queen's Swan Marker has other duties. He advises organisations throughout the country about swan welfare and incidents"
"inland. These include cormorant, black-headed gull and herring gull. The mute swan is a familiar sight on the river but the escaped black swan is more rare. The annual ceremony of Swan Upping is an old tradition of counting stocks. Non-native geese that can be seen include Canada geese, Egyptian geese and bar-headed geese, and ducks include the familiar native mallard, plus introduced Mandarin duck and wood duck. Other water birds to be found on the Thames include the great crested grebe, coot, moorhen, heron and kingfisher. Many types of British birds also live alongside the river, although they are"
"the annual Swan Upping on the Thames, the Swan Uppers leave their boats at Marlow RC overnight. The club is twinned with Rowing Club de Port Marly, in France which is the rowing club in Marly-le-Roi that Marlow, Buckinghamshire is twinned with. Marlow Rowing Club Marlow Rowing Club is a rowing club on the River Thames in England, on the southern bank of the Thames at Bisham in Berkshire, opposite the town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire just beside Marlow Bridge and on the reach above Marlow Lock. Founded in 1871, it is one of the main rowing and sculling centres in"
"Street in 1845. Rather than being ringed, swans' bills would be annually nicked, in Swan Upping, using a metal implement, a practice reflected in the pub name The Swan with Two Necks, a corruption of ""The Swan with Two Nicks"". Until the arrival of the railways, the Swan was one of the principal departure points for travel to the north of England from London. John Taylor stated in his ""Carriers Coſmographie"" (1637) that ""The Carriers of Mancheſter, doe alſo lodge at the two neck’d Swan in Lad lane (betweene great Woodſtreet, and Milk-ſtreet end) they come every ſecond Thurſday: alſo"
"of the year, though this would be partially offset by increased sales for the hospitality and merchandise sectors. Many events were staged in London during the bank holiday weekend. The River Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was held on 3 June; a maritime parade of 1,000 boats from around the Commonwealth—the largest flotilla seen on the river in 350 years—together with other celebrations along the river banks. Heavy rain started during the event and the commemorative airforce flyover at the end was cancelled due to very low cloud base and bad visibility at ground level. Along with almost all members of"
"duties of this official team of four people were to conduct the annual Swan-Upping on much of non-tidal reaches of the River Thames including Windsor. It was abolished in 1993, when it was replaced by two new offices, the Warden of the Swans and the Marker of the Swans. Keeper of the Queen's Swans The Keeper of the King's/Queen's Swans was a late medieval-founded office in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of England, later Great Britain and ultimately the United Kingdom. He was earlier called the King's/Queen's Swanmaster. The office was replaced by two separate roles in 1993 for"
"Wingfield Sculls The Wingfield Sculls is a rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake. The race is between single scullers and is usually on the Saturday three to four weeks before the Scullers Head of the River Race which is the same race in reverse, attracts more international entries and is held in November every year. Due to tide changes on the Tideway, the race may therefore be in October or in November. The race was founded on 10 August 1830, at the instigation of barrister Henry Colsell"
"on the third Thursday in September, the same day as the three-day Thame Fair opens in the town centre. On the day of the show local schools were closed. In 2010 the show was moved to the last Saturday in July. The organising committee have expressed a wish for the show to be a two-day event in the future. In October a smaller fair is held in the parking area in Upper High Street. In June the Thame Festival is held, which includes a carnival through the main streets, a flower festival and a fete on the Southern Road recreation"
"Worshipful Company of Dyers The Worshipful Company of Dyers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Dyers' Guild existed in the twelfth century; it received a Royal Charter in 1471. It originated as a trade association for members of the dyeing industry but is now mainly a charitable institution. Each year the company participates in the ceremony of Swan Upping along the River Thames. The Dyers' Company ranks thirteenth in the order of precedence of Livery Companies. The company's motto is ""Da Gloriam Deo"", Latin for ""Give Glory to God"". The activities of the company"
"under oars' or ""sweeps"" and ride tidal river currents alone, up river. The event commemorates the skills of lightermen who moved freight this way along the Thames up until the 1930s and in a wider context it encourages ongoing interest in moving cargo via water and as a way to recruit younger people back into river trades.The teams are normally made up of employees of Thames Lighterage companies, Port of London Authority or are sponsored by local businesses. The best places to view the race are Tower Bridge, London Bridge and Westminster Bridge. During the 1970s Britain suffered a major"
"Keeper of the Queen's Swans The Keeper of the King's/Queen's Swans was a late medieval-founded office in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of England, later Great Britain and ultimately the United Kingdom. He was earlier called the King's/Queen's Swanmaster. The office was replaced by two separate roles in 1993 for the annual Swan-Upping marking and health-checking carried out using Thames skiffs on many of the non-tidal reaches of the River Thames in latter years from Sunbury-on-Thames passing Windsor, Berkshire to Henley on Thames. The keeper's office dates from the 13th century. He was supported by three swanherdsmen. The principal"
"was small, which is in stark contrast to the numbers that gather now. The event started in 2001 to celebrate the local filming of the Hollywood film ""Yanks"" in 1979 starring Richard Gere. Many locations in Uppermill and neighbouring Dobcross were used in the film. The event has been held on 1 August every year, since 1975. Initially it was a protest movement against the Local Government re-organisation of 1974, The date alludes to the Battle of Minden; and the anniversary of the 1834 emancipation of slaves in the British Empire, for which Yorkshire MP William Wilberforce had campaigned. Saddleworth"
"""swan-upping"" outing held by members of England's ancient guilds, who mark the Queen's swans with a nick on the beak to separate them from their less exalted brethren."" The swans were presented to Vermont Governor F. Ray Keyser by a representative of the Canadian Government at a ceremony attended by dignitaries from both sides of the border. Before the summer 2016 the swans died of old age. After a gap of two years, a new set of swans (still named Sam and Betty) were secured and placed in their home in Village Green Park, surrounded by a black fence. The"
"twelfth of July ('The Twelfth'), in commemoration of the Battle of the Boyne. Individual lodges also parade at various times of the year, particularly leading up to the Twelfth. Parades in memory of the dead of World War I, particularly the 36th (Ulster) Division at the Battle of the Somme, are held in July and November. Junior lodges from Armagh, South Tyrone and Fermanagh parade annually at the end of May. On the last Saturday in October, Reformation Day is celebrated with the year's last major Orange parades. In Belfast, these proceed to Saint Anne's Cathedral for a church service."
"occurred in July 2007. The name Ock appears to be derived from a Celtic word for 'salmon'. River Ock The River Ock is a small English river which is a tributary of the River Thames. It has as its catchment area the Vale of White Horse, a low-lying and wide valley in south Oxfordshire, and flows into the River Thames, at Abingdon on the reach above Culham Lock. The River Ock rises near the village of Little Coxwell. It collects tributaries from each village along the base of the White Horse Hills, where springs emanating from the chalk hills allowed"
"Thames for leisure and sport. In August, the Wargrave & Shiplake Regatta is held over two days on the Shiplake riverbank opposite. The regatta combines serious and light-hearted racing in canoes, dinghies, dongolas and skiffs. It is the largest community event of the year having taken place since 1867. The event ends with a large firework display on the Saturday night. Wargrave is mentioned in Jerome K. Jerome's, 1889 book ""Three Men in a Boat"", a humorous account of a boating holiday on the River Thames: At one time there were seven public houses on High Street, serving the stage"
"Sonning Regatta Sonning Regatta is the regatta of the village of Sonning in Berkshire and the hamlet of Sonning Eye in Oxfordshire, England, on the north and south banks of the River Thames. The original Regatta was interrupted by World War II. The last regatta was held in front of the then White Hart pub (now the Great House at Sonning) next to Sonning Bridge, on 2 September 1939. The regatta was re-established in 2000 as part of the millennium celebrations and is now held every two years. It takes place on the Oxfordshire bank of the River Thames above"
"to the folk song (also known as St Ives Well Procession) still played at the Riding. Bodmin Riding The annual Bodmin Riding custom was held at Bodmin in Cornwall, England, UK, on the Sunday and Monday after 7 July (St Thomas Becket's Day). Accounts over its long history vary, but it involved a horseback procession around the town, carrying two large garlands, and probably originated as a Guild Riding custom. The earliest documentary evidence of the custom is in the Bodmin Parish Church rebuilding accounts of 1469-72, and it ceased in the early 19th century, but was revived in 1974"
"and is kept alive today as an annual event in a number of towns and villages in the north of England. According to Roud (2006), Rushbearing ceremonies continue to take place in Warcop and Grasmere, in Cumbria. Lammas is a corn festival which is celebrated on 1 August. The marks the annual wheat harvest, and is the first harvest festival of the year. On this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop. The loaf was blessed, and in Anglo-Saxon England it might be employed afterwards to work magic: a book of Anglo-Saxon"
"May Morning May Morning is an annual event in Oxford, United Kingdom, on May Day (1st May). The event starts early at 6am with the Magdalen College Choir singing a hymn, the Hymnus Eucharisticus, from the top of Magdalen Tower, a tradition of over 500 years. Large crowds normally gather under the tower along the High Street and on Magdalen Bridge. This is then followed by general revelry and festivities including Morris dancing in Radcliffe Square between the University Church and the Radcliffe Camera, impromptu music, etc., for a couple of hours from around 6.15am onwards. There is a party"
"20th centuries. During construction of reed beds and of wet woodland were laid down and about 250,000 trees were planted. The river is well used by walkers, runners, swimmers, wildlife enthusiasts and cyclists: a footpath combined with National Cycle Route 61 runs along virtually its entire length. A wide variety of bird life can be seen along the river, including green woodpeckers, cormorants, lapwing and red kites. During flooding in the early months of 2014, some residents of Ham Island (in Old Windsor) and Wraysbury said that the Jubilee River had increased the height of the flooded Thames in those"
"Feast of the Swans The Feast of the Swans was a chivalric celebration of the knighting of 267 men at Westminster Abbey on 22 May 1306. It followed a proclamation by Edward I that all esquires eligible for knighthood should come to Westminster to be knighted in turn by their future king, and to march with him against the Scots. The King first knighted his son Edward II who in turn knighted the 266 others. At the feast that followed the king had two swans brought in. He swore before God and the swans to avenge the murder of John"
"to the extensive habitat improvement work carried out by the Wye and Usk Foundation, set up to restore the spring salmon runs. In 2015 the five-year average once again climbed above 1,000 and it is now the third best salmon river in England and Wales, surpassed only by the Tyne and Wear. The Wye was particularly famous for its large ""spring"" salmon that had spent three or more years at sea before returning to spawn. They used to enter the river between January and June and sometimes reached weights of over , the largest recorded being landed after a long"
"further upstream, near the village of Inglesham, where the Thames and Severn Canal joins the River Thames. Rowing boats can reach even further upstream, to Cricklade. Lechlade is a popular resort for Thames boating. Boats of different types can be hired from here, from rowing boats to river cruisers. The highest lock on the Thames is St John's Lock, at Lechlade, where there is a statue of Old Father Thames overlooking the boating activities. There is a view from St John's Bridge across the lock and the meadows to the spire of St Lawrence's parish church. The River Leach flows"
"and punting regatta held at approximately the same location in July. Thames Ditton Regatta Thames Ditton Regatta is a rowing regatta, on the River Thames in England which takes place at Thames Ditton, Surrey opposite Hampton Court Palace. Thames Ditton Regatta was established in 1948, and is held annually in May. The regatta attracts top crews from schools, clubs and universities from around the UK, and over 250 entries are received each year. Racing takes place on the 1050 metre course that stretches alongside Hampton Court Palace and ends just downstream of the River Mole. The regatta should not be"
"tallest rower, at . Boat club presidents Kieran West and Dan Snow met on the banks of the Thames at Putney for the coin toss at soon after noon on 24 March 2001. Cambridge won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station. While the river was calm, rain began to fall just prior the start of the race. Oxford took an early lead, but both coxes were given warnings by race umpire Rupert Obholzer. A clash of blades ensued, with Cambridge's bow Colin Swainson losing his oar; this resulted in Obholzer called for a restart for the"
"operates on all weekends, and weekdays between February and October. As well as the ferry service, rowboats, canoes and motorboats can also be hired from the boathouse. In July 2007 the ferry briefly made headlines when owner Francis Spencer saved from drowning a woman found floating in the Thames. After the rescue, the woman left the scene and was never identified. A local tradition holds that a tunnel connects Ham House and Marble Hill House, paralleling the route of the ferry. However, there is no evidence that this is the case. The ferry marks the starting point of the Great"
"night-time tours to allow people to watch the John's and Trinity College firework displays on the Backs from the River Cam - the river usually becomes gridlocked for these evenings during May Week. Many Cambridge colleges originally held the balls in May, sometimes in the week preceding year-end exams. Today, they take place in May Week, which usually starts on the second Thursday of June following the end of exams, and which includes Suicide Sunday. The balls operate a strict dress code. Magdalene and Peterhouse insist on white tie, which is recommended but not required at Trinity, while all the"
"a period spanning May through to June. Rideouts now involve hundreds of horses, often ridden in costume to evoke a passion worthy of the reivers of old. Hawick is traditionally the start of the season of annual rideouts, due to the fact that the community captured a flag from the English army in 1514. The other oldest Common Ridings are held at Selkirk, Langholm and Lauder, each with histories tracing back over hundreds of years. Other towns which now hold ridings are: Lanark, Biggar, Peebles, Coldstream, Duns, Kelso, Jedburgh, Galashiels, Melrose, West Linton, Musselburgh; Linlithgow, Edinburgh, Annan. Each community starts"
"day of waxing moon of May (around mid-May) at Wat Chaeng Sawang, Ban Ta Klang, Amphoe Tha Tum. Khmer, Laotian, and Guay peoples are all Buddhist. All families wish their sons to enter monkshood and study dhamma before wedding. Ordination of many monks at the same time and parade on elephant's back in long distance means great merit for all families. As all participants always dress up beautifully with mat-mi silk, the tradition earns lots of interest and inherited for generations. The parade includes more than 50 elephants crossing Moon River. The men entering monkshood will have their heads shaved,"