More than the usual number of swans can be found waiting near St Helen’s Wharf.

The Swan Uppers – who normally catch and weigh swans as part of the royal swan census in July – would have their hands full if they arrived right now.

The black swan is still there – probably an escapee from a wildlife park and originally from Australia. The odds may look stacked against it but at one time the very thought of a black swan was a way of saying something was almost impossible.