Eel Pie Island
Encyclopedia
Eel Pie Island is an island in the River Thames
in England at Twickenham
, in the Borough of Richmond upon Thames
, London. It is situated on the Tideway
and can be reached only by footbridge or boat. The island was known as a major jazz and blues venue in the 1960s.
Eel Pie Island was earlier called Twickenham Ait
and, before that, The Parish Ait; even earlier the island was three separate aits. A bridge to the island was proposed in 1889, but it was not until 1957 that one was completed. Today, the island has about 50 houses with 120 inhabitants and some small businesses and artist studios. It has nature reserves at either end, but there is no public access to these. The island is privately owned and the public can only access the main pathway from the bridge, to all the doors and gates of the houses and businesses on the island. On a few weekends a year the public can go into the collection of art studios, known as Eel Pie Island Art Studios. The Island is also home to Twickenham Rowing Club
, one of the oldest rowing clubs on the Thames, and Richmond Yacht Club.
The Eel Pie Studios
or Oceanic Studios at The Boathouse
on the mainland nearby, formerly owned by Pete Townshend
, were the location of several significant pop and rock recordings. Townshend's publishing company, Eel Pie Publishing
, is also named after the ait.
and R&B
groups.
Famous names who performed at the dance hall between 1957 and 1967 include:
In 1967, the Eel Pie Island Hotel was forced to close because the owner could not meet the £200,000 cost of repairs demanded by police. In 1969, the Club briefly reopened as Colonel Barefoot's Rock Garden, with bands like Black Sabbath
, The Edgar Broughton Band, Stray
, and Hawkwind
(then known as Hawkwind Zoo).
including illustrator Clifford Harper
. By 1970 it had become the UK's largest hippie
commune.
In 1971, the Eel Pie Island Hotel burned down in a mysterious fire. The centre of the island was devastated by fire in 1996, and a year later, the footbridge was damaged by a utilities contractor. A new footbridge opened in August 1998.
, presenter Danny Wallace claimed to be "Leader" of Eel Pie Island after invading the island via the footbridge. After a few hours, the Metropolitan police
forced him to give the island back peacefully to HM Queen Elizabeth II
.
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in England at Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
, in the Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
, London. It is situated on the Tideway
Tideway
The Tideway is a name given to the part of the River Thames in England that is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock and is just under long...
and can be reached only by footbridge or boat. The island was known as a major jazz and blues venue in the 1960s.
Eel Pie Island was earlier called Twickenham Ait
Ait
An ait is a small island. It is especially used to refer to islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England....
and, before that, The Parish Ait; even earlier the island was three separate aits. A bridge to the island was proposed in 1889, but it was not until 1957 that one was completed. Today, the island has about 50 houses with 120 inhabitants and some small businesses and artist studios. It has nature reserves at either end, but there is no public access to these. The island is privately owned and the public can only access the main pathway from the bridge, to all the doors and gates of the houses and businesses on the island. On a few weekends a year the public can go into the collection of art studios, known as Eel Pie Island Art Studios. The Island is also home to Twickenham Rowing Club
Twickenham Rowing Club
Twickenham Rowing Club was founded on July 26, 1860 and is jointly the third oldest of the rowing clubs on the River Thames...
, one of the oldest rowing clubs on the Thames, and Richmond Yacht Club.
The Eel Pie Studios
Eel Pie Studios
The Eel Pie Recording Studios, formerly Oceanic, are not actually located on the River Thames's Eel Pie Island but on the mainland in Ranelagh Drive by Twickenham Bridge. They were the venue for a number of notable rock and pop recordings. Eel Pie Studios' artists include Pete Townshend, Rachel...
or Oceanic Studios at The Boathouse
The Boathouse, Twickenham
The Boathouse is a business and residential property located at Ranelagh Drive, Twickenham, England, which houses music and film studios.-Description:...
on the mainland nearby, formerly owned by Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, were the location of several significant pop and rock recordings. Townshend's publishing company, Eel Pie Publishing
Eel Pie Publishing
Eel Pie Publishing is a publishing house founded by musician and author Pete Townshend in 1977, and named after Eel Pie Island. It is part of the Eelpie Group of Companies including Eel Pie Recording Production Ltd., which was set up in 1970 by Pete Townshend....
, is also named after the ait.
Eel Pie Island Hotel
The island was the site of the now legendary Eel Pie Hotel which was a genteel 19th century building that hosted ballroom dancing during the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1956 trumpeter Brian Rutland, who ran a local band called The Grove Jazz Band, started jazz sessions at the newly reopened hotel. Sometime after Arthur Chisnall took over the running of the club and continued to promote various jazz bands and then in the 1960s rockRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
groups.
Famous names who performed at the dance hall between 1957 and 1967 include:
- Long John Baldry's Hoochie Coochie MenLong John BaldryJohn William "Long John" Baldry was an English and Canadian blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where Let the Heartaches Begin reached No...
(including Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
) - Kenny BallKenny BallKenny Ball is an English jazz musician, best known as the lead trumpet player in Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.-Career:...
- Acker Bilk
- David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
- Ken ColyerKen ColyerKenneth Colyer was a British jazz trumpeter and cornetist, devoted totally to New Orleans jazz. His band was also known for skiffle interludes.-Biography:...
- Ivor CutlerIvor CutlerIvor Cutler was a Scottish poet, songwriter and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recorded for John Peel's influential radio programme, and later for Andy Kershaw's programme...
- Cyril DaviesCyril DaviesCyril Davies was one of the first British blues harmonica players and blues musician.-Biography:Born at St Mildred's, 15 Hawthorn Drive, Willowbank, Denham, Buckinghamshire, near London, he was the son of William Albert Davies, a labourer, and his wife Margaret Mary...
- Alexis KornerAlexis KornerAlexis Korner was a blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a Founding Father of British Blues"...
- John Mayall's BluesbreakersJohn MayallJohn Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
(featuring Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
) - George MellyGeorge MellyAlan George Heywood Melly was an English jazz and blues singer, critic, writer and lecturer. From 1965 to 1973 he was a film and television critic for The Observer and lectured on art history, with an emphasis on surrealism.-Early life and career:He was born in Liverpool and was educated at Stowe...
- Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
- The Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
- The Tridents (featuring Jeff BeckJeff BeckGeoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
) - The WhoThe WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
- The YardbirdsThe Yardbirds- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
- The Downliners Sect
- The ArtwoodsThe ArtwoodsThe Artwoods were an English rock band who formed in 1963 and were professionally active between 1964 and 1967. They were a popular live attraction, rivalling groups such as the Animals, although, despite releasing a clutch of singles and an album, their record sales never reflected this...
(featuring Jon LordJon LordJonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
)
In 1967, the Eel Pie Island Hotel was forced to close because the owner could not meet the £200,000 cost of repairs demanded by police. In 1969, the Club briefly reopened as Colonel Barefoot's Rock Garden, with bands like Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, The Edgar Broughton Band, Stray
Stray (UK band)
Stray are a British band, formed in 1966. The vocalist Steve Gadd , guitarist Del Bromham , bass player Gary Giles and drummer Steve Crutchley formed the band, whilst all were attending the Christopher...
, and Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
(then known as Hawkwind Zoo).
Eel Pie Island Commune
In 1969, the Eel Pie Island Hotel was occupied by a small group of local anarchistsAnarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
including illustrator Clifford Harper
Clifford Harper
Clifford Harper is an illustrator and militant anarchist. He was born in Chiswick, West London on the 13th of July 1949. His father was a postman and his mother a cook. Expelled from school at 13 and placed on 2 years probation at 14, he then worked in a series of "menial jobs" before 'turning on,...
. By 1970 it had become the UK's largest hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
commune.
In 1971, the Eel Pie Island Hotel burned down in a mysterious fire. The centre of the island was devastated by fire in 1996, and a year later, the footbridge was damaged by a utilities contractor. A new footbridge opened in August 1998.
The Battle of Eel Pie Island
For his 2005 television show How To Start Your Own CountryHow to Start Your Own Country (TV series)
How To Start Your Own Country was a six-part BBC Television documentary comedy series aired between August and September 2005. The show was presented by British writer/comedian Danny Wallace and followed his quest to start his own country in his flat in Bow, London...
, presenter Danny Wallace claimed to be "Leader" of Eel Pie Island after invading the island via the footbridge. After a few hours, the Metropolitan police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
forced him to give the island back peacefully to HM Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
Notable residents
- Original Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
actor William HartnellWilliam HartnellWilliam Henry Hartnell was an English actor. During 1963-66, he was the first actor to play the Doctor in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
lived in a house on the island during the 1960s - Indie band Mystery JetsMystery JetsMystery Jets are an English five-piece indie band, formerly based on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, London. The band was formed by Henry Harrison , Blaine Harrison and William Rees when the boys were still at school and would send each other songs on cassettes...
- Inventor Trevor BaylisTrevor BaylisTrevor Graham Baylis OBE is an English inventor. He is best known for inventing the wind-up radio. Rather than using batteries or external electrical source, the radio is powered by the user winding a crank for several seconds. This stores energy in a spring which then drives an electrical...
- LBCLBCLBC Radio operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. LBC was Britain's first legal commercial Independent Local Radio station, providing a service of news and information to London. It began broadcasting on 8 October 1973, a week ahead of Capital Radio...
presenter Steve AllenSteve Allen (LBC radio presenter)Steven William Allen Steven William Allen Steven William Allen (born 17 March 1930, Steven William Allen (born 17 March 1930, Steven William Allen (born 17 March 1930, [[Brinsworth], [[Kent]], [[England]]) is an english [[television presenter|television]] and [[radio presenter]], who is currently...
Use in literature
Eel Pie Island was also the setting of a murder mystery written by David Frome (Zenith Brown) in 1932. It was part of the Mr. Pinkerton Series, featuring amateur sleuth, Evan Pinkerton, a widower Welshman, and his friend, Chief Inspector J. Humphrey Bull of Scotland Yard.External links
- The Twickenham Museum – Eel Pie Island
- A diary of Danny Wallace's invasion on his Citizens Required website
- Eel Pie Island – collection of hippie memoirs & pics from the 1960s
- Mystery Jets official website
- Official website of LBC 97.3 presenter Steve Allen
- YouTube video of an open day on the island
- The Eel Pie Club