Cable car gives Royal Docks' west end a boost

The northern terminus for the cable car in the Royal Docks is part of a move to civilise the west end of the largest body of enclosed water in the world. And it's about time, because, despite Excel and some housing developments, this has also looked like the loneliest, emptiest, most underused body of water in the world, a mammoth dock with not a boat - and often not a pedestrian - in sight.

Beside the cable car are a few shops and restaurants in what could be a pleasant leisure quay (Royal Victoria DLR). A couple of hundred yards away in the southeast corner you can waterski, clipped to an overhead cable (right). An added attraction will be the SS Robin (above, see earlier post), currently pontooned opposite Excel, which will move neaer the cable car terminus some time next year, when Siemens Crystal (an artists' impression is below), a visitor centre for the latest eco-technology, opens.

The whole area is still pretty much of a mess. With luck, these different elements will come together to form something more cohesive, a place to go on a Sunday and still feel connected to the living world.