Twickenham: Not Just a Rugby Town, Twickenham, England

Twickenham may not be in favour with England rugby fans at the moment after our exit from the World Cup - soon to be followed by Wales, Scotland and Ireland - but there is more to the home of rugby - than rugby - as I discovered during a walk with my three-year-old daughter on a slightly rainy autumn day.

The crowds from the weekend’s rugby action had gone and with a break in the rain, I felt compelled to explore the area. I’ve written a lot about my adventures to exotic places such as Singapore, Langkawi and Dubai - to name a few - but not so much about my local area.

We started off at a local park - where else? We collected some of the abundant leaves scattered on the floor and my daughter explored the playground. We then had a wander into Twickenham. The high street has the standard shops, chain outlets and isn’t too much to write home about but head towards the river and you come across the quaint, cobbled stones of Church Street which lies just a few short steps away from the river.

After passing St Mary’s church with its Medieval tower, you come to the River Thames and the sight of Eel Pie island. The small, private island has a big, musical history. It was once home to a famous 19th century hotel which Charles Dickens used to frequent. In the 1920s, the hotel held tea dances and then became a rock and roll hub in the 1960s where everyone from the Rolling Stones to David Bowie, The Who and Eric Clapton performed. After the building mysteriously burned down in the 1970s, it became a hippie commune. Nowadays, it houses 26 artist studios, Twickenham rowing club and is home to a small community of people. The unique place is car free and only accessible by a footbridge over the river. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).