For centuries, Twickenham, Teddington, Whitton and the Hamptons were
bucolic places, a string of villages alongside the great highway of the
Thames. Hampton Court is most famous for its connections with Henry
VIII, Cardinal Wolsey and its royal palace, but it was the river that
offered a livelihood to many, through fishing and boatbuilding and
access to London, and also for its many fruit, vegetable and flower
gardens. Twickenham particularly became a fashionable retreat for
Londoners with pleasure gardens and grand houses, many of which survive
today, but the area later became a hotbed of British R&B in the 1960s on
Eel Pie Island. Twickenham film studios produced many classics of
British cinema including The Italian Job, and Teddington Studios was the
home of Thames TV. Twickenham is also the home of English rugby and one
of the many fascinating stories revealed in this book is the controversy
around how the stadium nicknamed 'the cabbage patch' came to be built
here. Secret Twickenham Whitton, Teddington and the Hamptons explores
the lesser-known episodes and characters in the history of Twickenham
and the surrounding towns of Whitton, Teddington and the Hamptons
through the years. With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events
and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, it
will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this corner
of South West London.
