Friday Island, River Thames facts for kids
Imagine a tiny, peaceful island right in the middle of a famous river! That's Friday Island. It's a small piece of land found in the River Thames in England. This special island is located near a town called Old Windsor in Berkshire. You can find it just before you reach the Old Windsor Lock, which is like a watery staircase for boats. It sits on the river section just above Bell Weir Lock.
A Special Island Home
Friday Island is quite small, but it has a unique shape. Some people say it looks like the footprint of a character named Man Friday. He is from a very old and famous adventure book called Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe in 1719.
On this little island, there is a cozy two-bedroom cottage. It even has its own well for water! The cottage is almost completely hidden by beautiful willow trees, making it a very private spot.
Dr. Julius Grant: A Detective Scientist
For many years, Friday Island was home to a very interesting person named Dr. Julius Grant. He lived there from 1966 until he passed away in 1991. Dr. Grant was a famous forensic scientist. This means he used science to solve mysteries, often helping police with investigations. He was like a real-life detective, but with a laboratory!
One of Dr. Grant's most famous cases happened in 1984. He helped prove that some old documents, called the "Hitler Diaries," were not real. They were actually forgeries, meaning they were fake. Even though some people thought they were true, Dr. Grant's scientific tests showed they were false.
People who knew Dr. Grant said he loved his island home. The person who looked after the river locks nearby remembered Dr. Grant saying that going to the island felt like traveling "a million miles away." He even said it was like "owning half of Australia" because it was so quiet and private. This shows just how special and secluded Friday Island felt to him.
