Tagg’s Island creative community

Clare Denning spent a day meeting many of the island’s welcoming residents. Tagg’s Island an idyllic place with a thriving community

Tagg’s island lies on the Thames near Hampton Court and owes its name to the boat-builder Thomas Tagg, who moved there in the mid-19th century. Tagg built a hotel and transformed the island into a pleasure resort for British high society. The island sadly fell prey to financial collapse in the war years and by the 70s lay entirely derelict.

Its revitalisation began with Gerry and Gillian Braban in 1980. Their son Grant, who kindly took me on a boat ride along the river to show me the island, manages the island now. He explained how his parents came across the island and discovered, in the abandoned hotel, the set of Stanley Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange. The tables were still laden with props, make up and costumes, and installed electricity and water, thus transforming it into the community that it is today.

One of the many residents I met, remarked: ‘it takes a particular sort of person to live on an island in a houseboat’. Let’s meet some of the artists and creatives who live and work here.

even a goldfish dried out in its bowl. Boldly, they bought the island, sold off its plots, dug out a lagoon

Anna Lou Scaife is a world-class designer and manufacturer of personalised jewellery collections. Anna Lou launched her brand in 2004 at Portobello Market and is now based on Tagg’s Island from where she ships her pieces all over the world. Her work has been worn by celebrities and influencers across the globe.

Ana Pribylova has won international acclaim with her boutique brand Anna Bella Millinery. After moving to the island in 2016 with her husband, she hasn’t looked back. She loves the fact that there is no commute to work as her studio is on the island and the simple pleasure of feeding the swans and ducks on her lunch break. Dave O’Brien works mainly with audio network as a composer and music producer for film, television, radio and computer games. With his studio nearby, he is lucky enough to be able to travel to work by boat. According to David: “The river provides the perfect backdrop to creative work… just looking out of the window often sets off a new train of thought and inspiration.” Sam Hanson moved to Tagg’s island to pursue a career as an artist. She works on a large-scale in coloured pencil and graphite, taking the universe as her subject matter. It is easy to see how being so close to nature compliments her work, with the great view of the Orion constellation as you walk over the bridge to the island in the dark. Photographer Joanna Jackson confidently says: “It’s easily the best place I have ever lived.” Since moving to the island 10 years ago, Joanna has written books on Bushy Park and Kingston. The books contain photos tracking the seasonal changes and short articles describing the history of the area. Simon Slater is an award-winning actor and composer in film, television and theatre. He has also worked on many audiobooks and performed in the West End. To add to this, Simon is an Olivier nominated composer for TV and theatre. His most recent successes include compositions for Amadeus at the National Theatre and Constellations. Richard Eastward moved to Taggs Island in 2019, searching for a vibrant community and lifestyle. He has worked as a painter and model maker, runs a successful painting and construction company and has produced models, dioramas, murals and sculptures for museum exhibitions and displays. Suzanne Cave is a voiceover artist, performance coach and personal story teller. She has appeared on multiple public broadcasts (including The Archers), and designed and delivered learning programmes for leaders in the private and public sectors. Through storytelling, she helps her clients to share their successes and personal experiences. Suzanne strives to spend time with her family. To achieve this dream, Suzanne and her husband, David, are building a creative studio on their boat. Bob Gonella came to Taggs Island twenty years ago and has a studio on Platts island where he paints full-time. Bob’s figurative works include: waterscapes, snowscapes and interesting structures balanced with fantasy subjects. To him, the island is “cut off from the real world”, and a place where people live surrounded by plants and wildlife. The artists living on Tagg’s island are united in their love for the nature and the lifestyle it has to offer. Island life has propelled them in their creative work. Although they live somewhat idylically, they have made waves internationally in their careers. The set of Stanley Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange

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