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Urban Myth

Alligators living in the pond? No, it's an urban myth - this particular alligator never left the Everglades.

But, you will be surprised what wildlife does live at London Yard:-

Urban Reality

This crab is one of a number that live in the drains between the pond and the river. The photograph on the right was taken by Ricky Lewis when he was clearing the outlet to the Thames.

The crab is the
infamous Chinese Mitten crab, an invader to the Thames from Asia, which gets its name from its furry "mittens" near the claws. They are a huge problem in the river. They eat everything in their path and burrow into the riverbanks, thus increasing erosion and causing collapse of the banks. Since mitten crabs are an introduced species, nothing in the Thames eats them, so in the past 30 years their population has increased so dramatically, it is thought that there are millions of them in the Thames. It doesn't help that
they can survive in both fresh and salt water, are able to survive long periods out of water and can climb over nearly everything! On the flip side, their raw gonads are a delicacy in China!

The information on the Mitten Crab was supplied by the Thames Explorer Trust which carries out surveys of wildlife in the river. If you are interested and would like to volunteer, email the editor who will put you in touch.

Neighbourhood Watch Set Up

At a meeting of Yarders and Brian Mitchell, the policeman in charge of Neighbourhood Watch in Tower Hamlets, an NW group for London Yard was set up. The NW coordinator is Jürgen Birnbaum who lives in Amsterdam Road. The purpose of the group is to increase security awareness at London Yard and to encourage residents to help each other to protect their property. You may have already received a leaflet explaining the scheme and small window stickers from the police. Details of current crime trends will be published regularly on this website. If you would like to join the group, email Jürgen at watch@londonyard.com.

More Yarder Photography

This is a view of the Dome taken by David Thompson  from his flat in Frans Hals Court.



This photograph of a strange looking boat being examined at London Yard was taken by Angela Brown of Rembrandt Close.





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