I have been living in Twickenham for a few months now and I was aware that there is a boatyard and some houses on the other side of the river Thames, but I never expected to find such a mysterious, Narnia-like island just a bridge away.

Eel Pie Island is part of London but a world away from it.

This island is home to a colourful array of inventors, artists, craftsmen and boat builders, who decorate their houses, studios and little alleyways with a Alice in Wonderland charm.

But it wasn’t always this quiet.

Before I crossed the bridge I read some interesting facts online about it, like Henry VIII built a hotel there and the island was a popular holiday destination. In 1950s the hotel was renamed into the Eelpiland Dance Club and became the birthplace of a youth movement gathering young beatniks listening to jazz music and later even hosting concerts of David Bowie and the Stones. Eventually, when the party scene got out of control, a mysterious fire burned the hotel to the ground and then squatters took over…

Ok, I got carried away with the history lesson about the location but I thought it was worth sharing! Be aware that the island is private but it has two open days every year (in July and December) where you can have a peek inside the quirky gardens and even meet the artists.

Now let’s talk clothes!

This polka dot top is my absolute favourite this summer and I got it on sale from Zara. It’s surprising how good it can look with almost every colour of skirt or jeans. The only thing is that it looks better on high waisted items.

For this occassion I paired it with a very simple H&M skirt as the top is a statement on its own and tan New Look sandals which are a couple of seasons old now.

The bag is from the Bosnian brand Cocopat and unfortunately they do not deliver anywhere at the moment apart from Balkan countries (Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia etc.).  Their bags are great quality and so so pretty. This is the first bag that I got from them but definitely not the last one.

 

WHAT I WORE:

Top: Zara

Skirt: H&M

Sandals: New Look(similar)

Bag: Cocopat

Earrings: Accessorize