Thames River

The County Museum of Art has acquired 53 etchings by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, bringing to 77 the number of works by the 19th-Century expatriate artist in its collection. Julius and Anita Zelman donated the etchings, many of which were displayed at the museum over the summer before a national tour. The works depict travels by the American artist who lived abroad most of his career. His first major group of prints, created in 1858, is titled the "French Set" or "Twelve Etchings After Nature."

Remember that scene from the opening ceremony that looked as though it came out of a James Bond movie. It featured David Beckham, looking dapper in a black suit, driving a speed boat down the Thames River, his wake illuminated by blue, pink and golden lights. At a Galaxy practice on Wednesday, Beckham discussed that maneuver for the first time. "I was out on the boat for a few hours," he said in a video interview, courtesy of LAGalaxy.com. "It was good. I had a few goes at it during the week so I was prepared.

Orange Coast College's heavyweight eight crew advanced to the semifinal round of the Temple Cup in the 153rd Royal Regatta with an easy victory over Worcester-Balliol on Friday. It marks only the second time in nine tries that OCC has reached the semifinals in the regatta, which is considered one of the most prestigious in the world. The Pirates have never made the final.

Actors and politicians appealed to the government and property developers today to preserve the historic remains of the Rose Playhouse, where some of William Shakespeare's plays premiered. Archeologists from the Museum of London digging near the banks of the Thames River in Southwark, central London, unearthed important remains of the Rose, built in 1587, and want the government to prevent Imry Merchant Properties from beginning to build an office tower over the site Monday. Famous entertainers from the stage and screen turned out today to support the effort to preserve the site.

By day, James C. Sims is a Santa Monica trial lawyer arguing million-dollar personal injury cases in West Coast courthouses. Mornings and evenings, Sims coaches crew racing at UCLA, whose varsity rowers will meet Oxford and Cal in the third annual UCLA crew race at noon today at Marina del Rey. Oxford's oarsmen are on their first American tour since they and Cambridge made this an intercollegiate sport 157 years ago on the Thames River.

Being a great admirer of the afternoon tea ceremony in England, we thoroughly enjoyed "Afternoon Tease" (April 17) by Karen Giordano. We were especially pleased to find a few new ones to try. The only blemish on an otherwise superior piece was the mistake so many Americans make in describing the river that flows through London. It is the River Thames, not the Thames River. ANNIE and JIM KRESL, Long Beach "Afternoon Tease" brought back rueful memories. I went to the most posh hotel in Oxford, the Randolph, for high tea. Trying to not look like an American tourist, I wore my English tweed skirt and carried a copy of the Spectator.

On a recent vacation to London, Jessie LeMay rode the London Eye, boarding the giant Ferris wheel as dusk fell. During the ride, the buildings along the Thames River lighted up. "It was such a delight to capture a stunning view of the Parliament building shimmering in the dark skies," she said. The Hawthorne resident used a Canon PowerShot S5 IS. The resident of Ho Chi Minh City used a Canon EOS 7D. View past photos we've featured . To upload your own, visit our reader travel photo gallery . When you upload your photo, tell us where it was taken and when.

Along with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Summer Olympics , this year also brings a quirky landmark to London: a little boat-shaped abode that sits atop Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre. It's a room with more than one view  - really great views of the Thames River, the London Eye and Big Ben  - and only accommodates two. " A Room for London " was the winning entry in an architectural competition to create a novel dwelling at the arts center. The inspiration, according to the room's website, was the boat from the Congo voyage taken by author Joseph Conrad in 1890 that became the basis of "Heart of Darkness.

On a warm summer evening in 2004, Philip Anschutz greeted British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at the $150-million soccer palace Anschutz had created in Carson. After settling into a luxury suite to watch the Los Angeles Galaxy battle the San Jose Earthquakes, Prescott asked Anschutz which side he was rooting for. "He said it didn't matter because he owned the two teams," Prescott recalled in an interview in London.