News Item 5 (March 5, 1999)

Contract Signed for River Cruise

The main social event of the congress will be a river cruise through the centre of London on the evening of Tuesday, July 4^th. Agreement has been reached for the congress to hire three of the best and most luxurious boats currently operating on the Thames. On behalf of the Library Association, Janet Liebster has signed contracts for Silver Sturgeon and Silver Barracuda (operated by Woods Boats) , and an option has also been signed for Symphony (flagship of the Bateaux London fleet).  Click here to view full-sized photos.

The evening will begin at Westminster and Savoy piers, which are within easy walking distance of the congress centre. The boats will cruise between Chelsea in the west and the spectacular Millennium Dome in the east – taking in (among many other sites) Big Ben, London’s historic City district, and Tower, and two the Wren masterpieces of St Paul’s cathedral and Greenwich Palace.

As this historic panorama flows past the windows, food and drink will flow across the tables, before delegates are returned to their departure point in time for a nightcap.

The small print:

The cost of this evening is included in the conference registration fee. The delegate pack will include a ticket valid for one particular boat. These will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If the number of delegates exceeds the places available on the boats then we will make every effort to reserve additional boats of similar standard. However, we can make no absolute guarantee that everyone will get afloat on July 4^th; if this does prove impossible to achieve then an alternative event of equivalent standard will be arranged for late registrants. Vegetarian and other special dietary requirements will be accommodated and should be specified at the time of booking.