In article ,
Les Hemmings writes:
John Hall wrote:

No chance of frost fairs on the Thames in London, I'm afraid. The
demolition of the old London Bridge, which had very narrow arches
which obstructed the flow, and the embankment of the river have done
for them. 1962-3, the third coldest winter in the CET record, showed
that it's pretty much out of the question.

Couldn't decent size plates of ice from up stream, and burgy bits in the
mix, slow the flow enough?

Apparently not. But with Old London Bridge, ice floes used to wedge in
the bits between the piers and fuse together. Then presumable further
floes caught up on that, until eventually solid ice had spread back
upstream. Also before the river was embanked, it flowed much more
slowly, both on the incoming and the ebb tide.

I mean solid waste only moves ten miles
downstream a month given the tidal flow and all? Ramsgate sea even froze in
'63!



But the Thames in London didn't, apparently. (Though I believe all the
non-tidal stretch, ie above Teddington weir, was frozen solid.)
--
John Hall
"Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people
from coughing."
Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-83)