Wrap up in your woolies and come down to Cody Dock on the 24th November (12-5pm), to join us for our take on the traditional frost fairs that used to happen on the frozen Thames – its the perfect antidote to Black Friday, the day before! There’ll be a children’s choir, warming fires, mulled wine, seasonal treats from the German Deli, indoor and outdoor stalls selling seasonal products, hand crafted goods and unusual gifts. Plus homecooked hot meals, drinks and snacks from the Cody Dock cafe and bar.
From the 17th century to the early 19th century, frost fairs were sometimes held in London on the tideway of the Thames when the river froze over. Of course, now it is very rare for the Thames to freeze, (the last great freeze of the higher Thames was in 1962–63), but then, the British winter was more severe and the river was wider and slower, with the medieval London Bridge and all of its piers trapping floating pieces of ice and damming up the river, making it much easier for the river to freeze. During the Great Frost of 1683–84, the worst frost recorded in England, the Thames was completely frozen for two months, with the ice reaching a thickness of 28 cm in London. During the first recorded Frost Fair in 1608, there were football pitches, bowling matches, fruit-sellers, shoemakers, barbers and even a pub or two set up on the frozen river. In 1814, at the last ever Frost Fair on the frozen river Thames, its reported that there was even a parading elephant included in the festivities!
We can’t promise any elephants at Cody Dock on the 24th, but we can promise a fun day out for all the family – we look forward to seeing you there!
