‘It’s always the same river, but never the same experience’. The ‘strong brown god’ at its most benign (deceptive bends), in the act of turning towards the source or the sea. Further east an unmarked police car screams along the embankment, light flashing and siren blaring. Moments later the drama is reversed as a call prompts the vehicle to slow to a halt, thus switching off both instruments of warning. An emergency anti climax (tbc).