1. Betsy O Hogan, credited with writing the song "Old Father Thames", was actually the pseudonym of British ballad writer Lawrence Wright, whose other songs included the distinctly un-Londonish "Wyoming Lullaby".

2. Government figures that predict the threat of flooding to be so severe that the current barrier may have to be raised up to 325 times a year by 2100.

3. The Thamesmen was the name of the fictitious first band formed by Spinal Tap members Nigel Tufnel and David St Hubbins in the 1982 spoof rockumentary.

4. On average, one dead body is found in the Thames every week.

5. Formed in 1798, the Thames River Police was the first policing body to be established in England.

6. In The Waste Land, TS Eliot referred to the Thames as "a strong brown God".

7. In 1934, 1,500 tonnes of sand were spread on the shore at Tower Bridge to create an artificial beach for Londoners who couldn’t afford a seaside hoiday.

8. During the Great Fire of 1666, many people made their escape by taking to the Thames.

9. More than 100 species of fish have been recorded in the river during the past decade.

10. A 2004 TV documentary compared the purity of brand mineral waters, tap water and Thames water; scientific analysis confirmed that the Thames water was amongst the purest in terms of bacterial content! Roughly 70 per cent of London’s water still comes from the Thames.