Last Saturday brought to an end the first season of the very successful Sunbury to Walton ferry. An event was supposed to have taken place at the launching of the new ferry service back in July but as Covid restrictions made that impossible it seemed fitting to mark the end of our first season with a small celebration of the project's success.

Figures show that in the first 25 days of operation the ferry carried 6,331 passengers consisting of adults, children, bikes, pushchairs and dogs. This figure is all the more impressive when one considers that it rained on 13 of those days!

LOSRA Committee member Neil Huntingford, along with Simon Harris, directors of Sunbury Ferry Ltd, a not for profit community company, hosted the event and thanked all those who had made it possible:

• Spelthorne Borough Council, especially their River Thames Task Group,
• Surrey County Council
• Lower Sunbury Residents' Association,
• Middle Thames Yacht Club,
• Halliford School,
• Sunbury Matters,
• The Riverside Arts Centre,
• The Environment Agency,
• Sassy Apron,
• Daphne Clement who has immortalised the ferry in watercolours.

Speeches were made by Neil, Cllr. Vivienne Leighton, Chair of the River Thames Task Group, and the Mayor, Cllr. Ian Harvey. Special mention was reserved for the willing band of volunteer skippers and crew who have willingly given up their time to share their expertise and to learn new skills; and commit to running the service with professionalism, dedication and a ready smile despite the weather.