The noble Thames
From Mr Glynn Boyd Harte Sir: I cannot imagine why Peter Bazalgette should describe Tower Bridge as 'chocolate box' and 'sentimental' (Letters, 31 March). It is both a stunning piece of engineering and brilliantly designed and beautifully detailed, all combined with a simple silhouette to make a memorable ensemble.
It is, in fact, the work of Sir Joseph Bazalgette that is so overrated. The Embankment is absolutely hideous: we do not need it — let's get rid of it. All the services it contains could easily be put under the riverbed, and the Thames restored to its former magnificence, as seen in the paintings of Canaletto. The noble river would come into its own again, both as the spine and the great highway of London. Imagine how sublime it would be to arrive at the water-gate of Somerset House by gilded barge.
Glynn Boyd Harte
London WC1
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