London River Man

Whenever I meet my wife at the flat in Canary Wharf for Date Night, I pass this statue. I think it's very indicative of what the docklands area was like once upon a miserable time.

It was created by John W Mills in 1987. The plaque reads "This sculpture salutes all London river workers - tosshers, bargees, dockers, aletasters, coalheavers, ferrymen and co."

He also created the wonderfully enigmatic Monument to the Women of World War II in Whitehall.

PS: A 'tossher' (or, more accurately, 'tosher') was, apparently, a Victorian who scavenged in the sewers or a thief that would strip the copper from the bottom of ships. They would use the sewers to gain access more easily.