Eel Pie Island

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 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.

Read more about Eel Pie Island:  Water Sports, Eel Pie Island Hotel, Eel Pie Island Commune, The Battle of Eel Pie Island, Image Gallery, Notable Residents, Use in Literature

Famous quotes containing the words pie and/or island:

    No man’s pie is freed
    From his ambitious finger.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

    The very best place to be in all the world is St. Mary’s parish, Jamaica. And the best spot in St. Mary’s is Port Maria, though all of St. Mary’s is fine. Old Maker put himself to a lot of trouble to make that part of the island of Jamaica, for everything there is perfect.
    Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960)