It was trumpeter Brian Rutland of The Grove Jazz Band who first had the idea of starting a Jazz Club at The Eel Pie Island Hotel in 1956. But what really put Eel Pie Island on the map was music. This year's theme is the Eighties, with new albums, boxsets and classic reissues that celebrate the iconic era. It was my job to sweep up the ballroom on a Sunday morning when i was there. 437 likes. All Rights Reserved. Please check or ask before you come in. Welcome to the exclusive and elusive Eel Pie Island, former site to the now legendary Eel Pie Island Hotel and one of London’s best kept secrets. Following official Government advice, we have implemented a number of C-19 precautions. A project celebrating the musical legacy of Eel Pie Island.

Live music events at the Eel Pie Club with bands and guest musicians including The Carnabys, The Others, Birdwood and guest musicians, and a special gig featuring new young bands from Heatham House Youth Centre. Henry VIII is said to have used it for discreet courting. In his 1998 autobiography, All the Rage, Ian McLagan, keyboard-player with the Small Faces and the Faces, recalled supporting the Stones at Eelpiland and first meeting Rod “The Mod” Stewart, dressed up and “on the pull”. Eel Pie Island is an 8.935-acre island in the River Thames at Twickenham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Buy the book! My band (usually called the CHARGE in those days) played many times as support band at Eel Pie Island. Soon after, Arthur Chisnall, who owned an antiques shop in Kingston, … Curated by Michele Whitby, a long-term resident of the island and co-author of the book ‘Eel Pie Island’. Mary. Site created by Jack - Start Web Design Copyright © 2020. No Eel Pie : I rowed all the way down from Hampton Court and was feeling a little peckish so moored up at the (apparently legendary) Eel Pie Island hoping to fill my belly with some of the Thames’ Finest eels in a nice rough puff pastry pie and much to my horror there was not a single pie … Since Eel Pie Island was so much at the forefront of that, I would love to chat with anyone who frequented the club back then to see the likes of Alexis Korner, Cyril Davies, Long John Baldry, Chris Barber, the Yardbirds, etc.

Given under our hand this first day of November 1963 PAN Prince of Trads.”, For Whitby, and for older fans who saw the Stones or Eric Clapton play, Eelpiland is the birthplace of a youth movement, comparable to the Cavern Club in Liverpool, the Wigan Casino, the pubs of Canvey Island or the Hacienda in Manchester. Pete Watt, Your email address will not be published. They were given a passport instead of a ticket, underlining the notion that different social rules prevailed. The pop-up museum contained a recreation of Arthur’s living room in nearby Strawberry Hill, with his original desk. Last year Whitby put together artefacts and memorabilia for a pop-up museum, housed in two rooms in Twickenham library.

The venue was Eel Pie Island: a tiny enclave in the middle of the river Thames at Twickenham, which is now claiming its place in Britain’s cultural history. Our #eelsonwheels free local delivery service has proved popular. All Rights Reserved. please don`t hesitate to contact me .

Do click though to ‘Book’ via our Menu and you will find links to the books about the Island and Hotel.

Passport membership card – Eelpiland – sent in by B Wentzell. 1 August – 29 September 2013. The Rolling Stones, a teenage David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, the Who and Pink Floyd all first found regular audiences in this hidden haven. The book published as part of this project, has lots of fantastic stuff about the Hotel Music Club too of course. I wondered if you have heard of him. Eel Pie Island played a pivotal role in the short but influential career of Cyril Davies and he shall be always be inextricably tied to the venue and the cultural shift that was in progress. Museum planned to celebrate the Eelpiland dance club, the 1960s venue in the middle of the Thames, Last modified on Thu 22 Feb 2018 11.11 GMT. Once known as Twickenham Ait, the island takes its current name from the snacks once sold to passing traders from its banks. Sadly, I ran out of time and have missed this exhibition!

The passport read: “We request and require, in the name of His Excellency Prince Pan, all those whom it may concern to give the bearer of this passport any assistance he/she may require in his/her lawful business of jiving and generally cutting a rug. During the 1920s, the Eel Pie Island hotel hosted ballroom dances. Thanks

Eel Pie Publishing Limited, la société d'édition de Townshend est nommé d'après l'île. “The Stones had 15 dates here early in their career and were paid around £45 for a gig; good money then, although you could not get tickets to see them for that now,” said Whitby.

They thought the police would find it more difficult to come over and so they were free to make more noise.”. “It was all boatyards. Back when rock music was deemed antisocial, and even traditional jazz bands were frowned upon, it cost just fourpence to gain entry to a place where the young were free to dance, drink and kiss. Les Eel Pie Studios, propriété de Pete Townshend, membre de The Who, se trouvaient sur cette île. Heather White: Better known as ‘Fluff’, an Eel Pie Island club-goer since early 60s, still to be found dancing today anywhere where there is music…(6:09), Judy Astley: Local author who frequented the Island during the 60s, ended up buying Pete Townshend’s house on The Embankment, and still seen at the Eel Pie Club today…(9:15), Gina Way: Local girl who frequented the Island during the 60s, and has maintained the Island’s musical heritage by creating the re-vamped Eel Pie Club, active since 2000…(4:29), Ray Everitt: London Blues singer who frequented the Island during the days of Jazz and R&B, and while now resident in the South of France, came all the way to record these words, managed to blag a gig at The Rifleman while here, and still belts out the Blues today with his own band, en France…(17:15), Pete & Wendy Edmonds: Local couple who both frequented the Island during the 60s, whilst not knowing each other then…(10:29), John Stephens: Local teacher who was friends with two Yardbirds guitarists, Top Topham and Eric Clapton, and one of the many people we found who were present at those Stones gigs in 1963…(8:16), John Anderson: Scotsman who pitched up in Twickenham in the early 60s, worked at the old swimming pool as an attendant before hying it across the bridge to the Island at the end of his shift, was nicknamed ‘Posh Jock’ by fellow ‘Scot’ Rod Stewart, and played on the Island in his own band, Traces…(4:37), Margaret Willatts: Local girl, one of many, who took the opportunity to experience an ‘alternative’ view of life on the otherworldly Island…(7:33), Alan Winter: Local lad who came in on the Blues boom era, as it turned into psychedelia…(8:20), Gillian Green / Sally Taylor / Maud Kent: Three girls who feature in an iconic photo from 1965, reunited by the project, with memories aplenty…(11:48), Derek Griffiths: Guitarist with The Artwoods, led by Art, brother of a more famous sibling, Ronnie, who boasted the most appearances on the Island during the R&B years, and is still gigging today…(3:03), Top Topham: Original guitarist with The Yardbirds, who, at the tender age of 15, couldn’t sway his parents on a life in music, and who thus had to defer to a certain Eric Clapton, but got back into music, and is still active today…(3:08), Trevor Baylis: Local character who used to cycle from Southall to hear the Jazz in the 50s onwards, was able to buy a plot on the Island in 1970, and thus build his home and inventor’s workshop, which is very much in evidence today…(5:06), Jenny Boston: Local girl who ignored all the warnings to come and see the Island for herself…(7:44), Karen O’Brien: Local girl who found herself when finally allowed to visit the island, which shaped her subsequent life…(10:48), Don Craine and Keith Grant: Local lads so captivated by R&B experienced on the island, they created The Downliners Sect, who recently celebrated their 50th anniversary…(5:08), Subi Swift: Kensington girl whose eyes were opened and whose life was changed by exposure to the island. Many music greats have played at Eel Pie Island . Ils ont été le lieu de célèbres enregistrement du rock et de la pop music. Once a venue for ballroom dancing it became a hotel which hosted jazz sessions and later became the spot for jazz and later rock groups. Chisnall lived on until 2006, but lack of funds closed down his club in the late 1960s.

Please help us all stay safe by observing these precautions when you visit. I know that he was a colourful character and did meet him once. “People describe Eel Pie Island as like nowhere else and so seven years ago I wrote a book about it. I have sent you an email. Chisnall, a pipe-smoking guru in tweed, booked visiting American blues stars such as Buddy Guy and Howlin’ Wolf. Phil played regularly with us for a while. If you have anything from the '40s, the '30s, the '20s or even earlier, please get in touch.Thanks. Eel Pie Island Music, Twickenham, United Kingdom. Your email address will not be published. The band issued its first proper single, a limited edition 7" of "Zoo Time", on Transgressive Records. I didn’t get to see the exhibition, but in the late 40’s? During the week the members jam the bar … while discussing all sorts of serious topics. It’s listed under ‘Book’ through our menu on this site. He had the Hugh Douglas band.

My uncle and auntie used to run the hotel and my parents and I spent most of our holidays there, my mum helping behind the bar.

“He was not a massive music fan, but was fascinated by young people and their problems in a genuine way. But its modern influence dates from the launch of the Eelpiland dance club in 1956. His band played at Eel Pie Hotel regularly and also played at St Mary’s Hall every Saturday and Twickenham Palais in King Street on Sundays. By the end of Chisnall’s reign the club had also welcomed the Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, the Tridents with Jeff Beck, and Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men, featuring Rod Stewart.

These later gave way to jazz sessions, especially when a local trumpeter, Brian Rutland, began hosting regular jazz nights at the hotel. Free Entry. Apparently, there was no Hugh Douglas involved, but the band-leader was Doug Greening, with said father, Eric “Gubby” Gubbins taking on the leader’s duties at some stage.