Diamond Jubilee story: "Hereford Bull" trow boat ready to sail along River Thames (From Hereford Times)

Diamond Jubilee story: "Hereford Bull" trow boat ready to sail along River Thames

11:00am Saturday 2nd June 2012 in Local News By Lydia Johnson

THE boat representing Herefordshire in the biggest pageant on the River Thames for centuries has made its way to London.

The Wye trow was shipped to London by Ledbury transportation company A.B.E and is now waiting on the Thames.

Named the Hereford Bull earlier this month, it is ready to sail with 1,000 other boats and ships in the pageant tomorrow to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The full crew - Rear Admiral Philip Wilcocks, Bob Tabor DL, Herefordshire's Lord Lieutenant Lady Darnley, eight rowers and two reliefs - will arrive at the University of London Boat Club at Chiswick to ensure all boxes are ticked before the 36ft-long trow sails.

The pageant begins at 2pm, starting upriver of Battersea Bridge and finishing downriver of Tower Bridge at 6pm.

The Hereford Bull will be in the manpowered section leading the entire pageant, flying a flag with the word 'Herefordshire' at the masthead.

It then returns to Herefordshire for Diamond Day on July 11 where the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will get a closer look at the trow.