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If you’ve never heard of the intriguingly named Eel Pie Island, it’s a charming mudflat in Twickenham made up of higgeldy piggeldy artists’ studios, boatyards and small businesses. While you might not find many pies on the island, it was also historically a meeting point for rock ’n’ roll legends and saw the Rolling Stones, The Who and Pink Floyd play there in London’s swinging ’60s.
But now the community needs your help, as campaigners are fighting to save the boatyard on Eel Pie Island from redevelopment. Back in the day, hundreds of boatyards operated along the Thames, from Wapping to Teddington Lock. Now, fewer than 20 remain, with nine of them being in Richmond, where you’ll find Eel Pie Island.
Campaigners hope that the island will be granted Heritage Asset Status by Historic England and have raised over £6,000 for the cause so far. The campaign was inspired after one of the Eel Pie’s slipways was put up for sale for £3.5 million.
As well as protecting the artists and creatives that live and work on the island, the campaign hopes to preserve the boating industry there, promote small businesses and develop innovative initiatives for river transport due to climate change.
Lee Campbell, one of the artists on the island, said: ‘A lot of the artists might lose their studios. It’s a funny situation because everyone has to pass to the one that’s in danger to get to their studios, so whatever’s going on there would affect us.’
Artists on Eel Pie Island host an open studios weekend twice a year. If you want to show your support, the next one will take place on December 3-4.
You can donate to the crowdfunder here.
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