Port of London's Aquatic Sports

A day of fun and games in the water at London's Surrey Docks.

In a break from the daily hustle and bustle of the timber trade, Surrey Commercial Docks play host to the Port of London Authority's 1925 Gala Day. Workers at the docks gather, together with families and friends, to enjoy a day of fun and games in the water. Swimming competitions, fierce water polo matches and daring high diving are among the attractions, against the backdrop of the vast timber sheds.

Comprehensively redeveloped in the 1980s and 90s and now known as Surrey Quays, the area is unrecognisable today. The dockers and timberworkers are long gone, but a modern marina and watersports centre now cater for the aquatic tastes of contemporary residents and City workers.