Home > Eel Pie Island
Eel Pie Island, in the River Thames at Twickenham, England, can only be reached by footbridge or boat. It has about 50 houses with 120 inhabitants with some small businesses and a nature reserve at each end. The centre of the island was devastated by fire in 1996 and a year later, the footbridge collapsed, a new one being opened in August 1998.The island was the site of the now legendary The Eel Pie Hotel which was a genteel 19th century building hosting ballroom dancing during the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1950s it became a venue for Jazz and then in the 1960s the new sound of Rock and R&B.
Many famous names performed here between 1962 and 1967Events January January 4 British motorboat racer Donald Campbell dies while attempting a water speed record in Coniston Lake. January 4 Algerian revolutionary Mohammed Khider is shot in Madrid. January 6 Vietnam War: USMC and ARVN troops launch " Operatio:-
- George MellyGeorge Melly (born 1926) is a British jazz and blues singer. From 1965- 1973 he was a critic for The Observer and he also lectures on art history. He was born in Liverpool to middle-class parents and was educated at Stowe public school, where, as well as,
- Kenny Ball ,
- Long John Baldry's Hoochie Coochie MenLong John Baldry born January 12, 1941 in Haddon, Derbyshire, England, is a blues musician. Born John William Baldry, he grew to a towering 6 feet, 7 inches that resulted in the nickname "Long" John. Blessed with a deep, rich voice, he was one of the firs (including Rod StewartRoderick David Stewart (born January 10, 1945) is an English singer from Scottish descent. Stewart was the youngest of five children born to Robert and Elsie Stewart. His parents owned a newsagent's shop in North London, and the family resided above the s),
- John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (featuring Eric ClaptonEric Clapton CBE (born Eric Patrick Clapp March 30, 1945 in The Green, Ripley, Surrey), is a British guitarist and composer, nicknamed slowhand or, in the 1960s, God . Born as an illegitimate son of the 16 year old Patricia Molly Clapp and Edward Walter F),
- The Tridents (featuring Jeff BeckThe electric guitarist Jeff Beck (born June 24, 1944) is a British rock musician who played in a number of influential bands in the 1960s. Beck was born in Wallington. Like many rock musicians in the early 1960s, he began his career working as a session g),
- The WhoThe Who is a British rock band. They were noted for the dynamism of their live performances and for their thoughtful music, including Tommy one of the first rock operas. While not a heavy metal band themselves, their distorted guitars, epic songwriting, a,
- Pink Floyd,
- The Rolling Stones,
- The Yardbirds.
In 1967, Eel Pie Island Hotel was forced to close because the owner could not meet the £200,000 cost of repairs demanded by the police. Squatters soon moved in. In 1969, the Club briefly reopened as Colonel Barefoot's Rock Garden, with progressive bands like Black Sabbath and The Edgar Broughton Band.
In 1971, the Eel Pie Island Hotel burnt down in a mysterious fire.
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