On Friday 8 October 2010 the Y12 Geographers visited four sites in London to develop their knowledge and understanding of river management and population & settlement change. We were faced with long delays due to extensive signal failure on the trains in South East London, but managed to jump on a train from London Bridge to Kidbrooke to visit Sutcliffe Park, where we witnessed the use of soft engineering strategies to manage the River Quaggy, a tributary of the Thames. We were not so lucky with our train from Kidbrooke to Charlton but used our geographical skills to locate a local bus instead! Whilst at the Thames Barrier the girls learnt about the complex engineering involved with running the barrier as well as the vital role it plays in protecting London’s people and economy. Our next stop, following a lovely walk along the Thames and across Tower Bridge, was St Katherine Dock, a superb example of regeneration. Luckily on the day we visited there was also a small market and a number of the girls enjoyed kebabs, crepes and noodles for their lunch! Finally, around Brick Lane, the girls examined the contrasting environmental quality of housing in the area as well as the changes in population over time. Most impressive were the huge melons we saw growing in many of the cottage gardens off Woodseer Street, a total contrast to the towering office blocks in the City only 500m away.