The site of the present-day church is where an original Saxon home of worship was positioned and it is where, in the year 838, Egbert, King of Wessex, held a great council attended by noblemen and senior churchmen of the day where the king and the clergy agreed to work together and to support one another.
We are fortunate locally to have one of the most successful sea scout operations in the land in the shape of Leander Sea Scouts, based at 92 Lower Ham Road in Kingston.
These days, Raven's Ait is a conference and wedding venue but in the past, the island served as an important base for watersports and for helping to train youngsters in the arts of rowing, sailing, motor boat handling and naval discipline.
IN OUR busy modern world, we take the availability of clean, fresh water for granted in this country. We turn on the tap and there it is - ready to use. But centuries ago, the delivery of water for everyday use required a good deal of effort and thought.
Here at The Guide, we particularly love the sight of the occasional kingfisher, that iconic angler which nests on riverbanks and islands all the way along the Thames.