HAUNTING THE THAMES:
THE REAL LONDON IN GHOST OF A CHANCE
Last updated: December 7, 2025
If you grew up on classic afternoon TV like I did, Chip ’n Dale Rescue Rangers probably sits somewhere in your nostalgia-treasure-box between Saturday morning cereal and VHS tapes that mysteriously disappeared over time. The series originally aired on Disney Channel in 1989, but if you're like me, you got your Chip 'n Dale fix when it moved to syndication. The show followed the tiny-but-mighty detective duo Chip and Dale, along with Gadget, Monterey Jack, and Zipper, as they took on crimes far bigger than their size ever suggested. Each episode was a mini adventure into a larger-than-life world—sometimes literally—packed with chases, cheese-obsession, questionable inventions, and a whole lot of heart.
Today we’re stepping into one particularly atmospheric episode: Ghost of a Chance. A case of royal mystery and spooky legends leads the Rangers straight into the history-soaked streets of London—and that means we get to explore not one, but two iconic landmarks featured in the episode: Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. Both locations have popped up in earlier posts, so instead of repeating the basics, we’re heading into new territory—bridge myths, mistaken identities, and a few restless spirits lingering behind ancient stone walls…
tower bridge
When the Rangers find themselves flying past the iconic silhouette of Tower Bridge, it’s hard not to imagine yourself doing the same — but hopefully with fewer runaway villains involved. We've visited Tower Bridge in a previous installment (see this Peter Pan post), so today let’s talk about something different — where to get the best photos of this famously misidentified structure.
Because yes — people constantly confuse Tower Bridge with London Bridge. And here’s the fun twist: the original historic London Bridge isn’t even in London anymore. It was bought, dismantled stone-by-stone, and reassembled in Lake Havasu City, Arizona — so if someone insists they saw the “fancy London Bridge” in London, they’re probably talking about Tower Bridge… and if someone insists they saw the “real” London Bridge in the desert? Well, technically, they did.
If you want a postcard-worthy shot of Tower Bridge, here are some tried-and-true spots:
📸 South Bank on the Queen's Walk — a great place to capture the entire bridge from end to end in a single frame.
📸 Right on the bridge walkway — great for close-ups of the steel frame and a classic “I was here!” selfie.
📸 North bank in front of the Girl with a Dolphin statue — wide scenic views, especially gorgeous at sunset.
📸 A Thames river cruise — cinematic shots as you glide underneath.
📸 The glass-floor walkway inside the towers — dramatic downward photos and a Rescue Ranger height perspective.
Whether you’re an architecture buff or just trying to get a photo that’ll make your friends say whoa, Tower Bridge delivers — even on a cloudy London day.
tower of london
Next we shift to the main character of this episode - the Tower of London, and honestly, no location could feel more fitting for a storyline packed with suspense.
We’ve explored the Tower before from other angles, but this time ghost stories take the spotlight — and for good reason. In Ghost of a Chance, it isn’t just a spooky
When you're visiting Tower of London, I would suggest joining a Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) tour. You’ll learn very quickly that the Tower is considered one of the most haunted places in Britain. Stories frequently highlighted on these tours include:
setting chosen at random. The mystery revolves around a ghostly ancestor, a spirit who still haunts the Tower and drives the conflict forward. The Rangers aren’t just solving a crime — they’re untangling a family legacy that’s literally still wandering the halls.
👑 Anne Boleyn, said to wander near the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula or appear by the spot where she was executed.
👻 The Princes in the Tower, whose disappearance remains one of England’s most debated mysteries.
👗 Lady Jane Grey, often described as a pale, sorrowful figure.
🐻 And even a ghost bear, because the Tower once housed a menagerie.
Truly, history outdoes fiction sometimes.Warders tell these tales not as campfire stories, but as pieces of living history—and that is exactly the tone of the episode: curious, spooky, but wrapped in humor and adventure.
“Ghost of a Chance” is a perfect example of what made Rescue Rangers so fun: historical settings, playful mystery, and just enough spookiness to keep young viewers wide-eyed without running for a nightlight.
If you enjoyed this dive into London landmarks, don’t forget to check out the other posts where I explored London locations from different angles. Each has its own stories to tell—no two the same—because that city is layered like a history book someone spilled tea on centuries ago.
Until the next case—Rescue Rangers, away!
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