Eyots and Aits: Islands of the River Thames

A talk by author Miranda Vickers for Chiswick Pier Trust

Eyots and Aits: Islands of the River Thames,
a talk by author Miranda Vickers on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7.30pm.

What connects Henry VIII, Nicholas Nickleby and Mick Jagger? Answer: Eel Pie
Island, Twickenham!

There are around 190 islands in the Thames’ meandering path and Miranda Vickers’s talk at the Chiswick Pier House on Tuesday September 22nd at 7.30pm will look at the fascinating history of their role in helping us understand how the river has evolved.

Drawing upon the research from her book “Eyots and Aits; Islands of the River Thames” Miranda will demonstrate how they have served as playgrounds for the rich, workplaces for river folk, boatyards, refuges from the Blitz, and even as the backdrops of famous films or escapes from the city smog.

And as for Eel Pie Island’s claims to fame - Henry VIII once enjoyed the pies once baked there, Dickens mentions a river trip, and in the 1960s the Eel Pie Island Hotel found themselves a place in rock music history by staging gigs involving a host of bands who later became famous, including, the then unknown band, The Rolling Stones.

Come and hear more at Miranda’s talk, part of the Totally Thames festival this September and the first in the Chiswick Pier Trust’s Programme of Winter Talks.

September 18, 2015