Tales from the River Thames

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The barrier is part of a network that protects over half a million homes

BBC London explores all the stories and characters connected with the River Thames, west to east.

Flood risk?

To end our special river week we were live from the Thames Barrier and reporting on the future of flood defences amidst fears of increased flooding in the capital.

How safe are we from flooding and what real threat does climate change pose? Watch the video report above.

What lies beneath?

The team makes an interesting discovery using the scanner

On Thursday our programme came from London Bridge.

We showed the first hydrographic pictures of what's beneath the river at London Bridge and Tower Bridge.

It has not been surveyed before so there should be some interesting discoveries!

The SS Robin needs a home!

The SS Robin is an old cargo steamer built in east London in 1890 and it has been described as a true workhorse of the Thames.

Can Londoners find a home for SS Robin?

It avoided the scrap yard and is currently being restored at a port in Suffolk. A big plan is underway to bring it back to London transformed into a modern, interactive museum telling the story of working lives on the Thames.

However, the SS Robin still does not have a permanent home. There are a number of possible moorings, such as Wapping or on the Embankment but nothing is set in stone.

That's where BBC London viewers come in. The owners - the SS Robin Trust - want to hear the views of Londoners. The Trust says the Robin is 'coming home', so are keen to hear your suggestions about where that home could be.

The suggested locations are:

• Wapping, new pier & Clipper stop
• Temple Stairs, Victoria Embankment
• Bankside Pier extension, Globe Theatre, Tate Modern
• Swan Lane, London Bridge
• Tower Pier extension

Email [e-mail] and we'll pass on your suggestions to the SS Robin Trust.

Making better use of the Thames

Mayor Boris Johnson has pledged to try to get Londoners to use the river more

On Monday, we were aboard an 1898 passenger steam boat which used to transport passengers from Kingston to Oxford. We explored how the river is used today especially as commuting by water is down and a pilot scheme by supermarket Sainsbury's to transport goods along the Thames was abandoned.

Why don't we make better use of our world famous river?

River life under threat?

Actress Susan Penhaligon is a houseboat owner

Riz and the team spent Tuesday in Battersea to look closely at the threat to our river communities.

Campaigners say the sale of docks and a hike in mooring costs are threatening river people's existence. We talked to riverboat owners about what life there means to them and asked if their ultimate fears could be realised.