The London cartoonists living on a private island in the Thames

It was apparently once a favourite spot for King Henry VIII to stop for an eel pie and a romantic tryst, but these days Eel Pie Island in Twickenham is less famous for its fishy treats, and more famous as a private island for the rich, famous or artistic.

"Sometimes we wake up and there's a party of Japanese tourists peering through the window," says Simon Cassini, a cartoonist who lives on the island with his wife and fellow cartoonist Sheba Cassini.

Together they make up the duo Bitter and Twisted, and they live in one of around 50 dwellings on the island.

But who is Bitter, and who is Twisted?

"She's Bitter of course she is, she's the wife. Wives are always bitter," jokes Simon, as Sheba laughs.

There are only two ways to reach Eel Pie Island, by boat or over the footbridge.

There are no roads on the island and therefore no cars.

Anything needing to be brought on to the island, such as shopping or gardening materials, have to be carried by hand or wheeled on with trolleys.

Heaven forbid anyone needs any building work done, as that may well have to come via boat, at an extra cost.

But that is the price you pay for exclusivity perhaps.

The first Doctor Who, William Hartnell, and the inventor Trevor Baylis both lived on Eel Pie Island, as did Young Ones actor Nigel Planer.

Sheba and Simon have lived here, next to Twickenham Rowing club, for about 18 years.

"I lived on a boat in Battersea for a long time," said Sheba.

"When I wanted some work done on my boat I met a guy who told me to come and have it done at the boatyard here.

"And as soon as I walked off the boat, he introduced me to all the artists and people that live and work here and I just thought, this is a bit of me.

"I knew Simon would love it as well, it's just got our names written all over it really."

Simon agreed.

"When we go on holiday, it's beautiful everywhere you go, but I always actually look forward to coming back here," he said.

"If you can feel that about where you live, you know you're living in the right place."

The Cassinis are lucky enough to make a life and a living doing what they love.

"I was always drawing as a child," said Sheba.

"One day someone asked me to draw caricatures for a wedding and it just took off from there really."

Sheba has just finished a caricature clock by commission for the relatives of the popstar Yungblud. In the picture on the clockface, the singer is flying over their heads.

"This is his mum, his great aunt, his great-great aunt and his grandmother," she said.

"The all went to his show recently at the Sheffield Arena and they wanted this for a commemorative picture for the wall."

Luckily she's done one for each of them, maybe even one for the singer himself.

On the enduring appeal of cartoons and what they mean to people, the Cassinis are philosophical.

"It's entertaining," said Sheba.

"It's seeing the picture evolve in front of you."

Simon thinks it is deeper than that.

"I think everyone just wants to know how other people see them," he said.

The island was once the scene of London's music counter culture.

Those days may be over but its history and exclusivity mean properties on the island are not cheap.

A five-bedroom terrace on the island is currently on sale for nearly £2m.

The homes have names rather than numbers.

The Cassinis live in the two-bedroom Love Shack, which has a miniature mock-Tudor house attached to the back as a bedroom and a separate Romany caravan for guests in the back garden.

Any guests staying over there can look out across the Thames and on to the Twickenham mainland.

They will be in the company of Steve the metal shark poking out of the garden fence, one of the many sculptures and statues making up the Cassinis' "eclectic maximalist" style.

In the front garden is the "magnificent cock", a huge metal cockerel crowing silently at the large fiberglass ice cream in a permanent stage of melting on the Love Shack roof.

It looks like it is about to drip into the mouth of the waiting crocodile head beneath, as a sign on the front door reminds visitors "no snivelling" and a giant nutcracker with no arms stands sentinel at the front gate.

When asked about the current lack of eel pies on Eel Pie Island, Sheba laughs and tells me: "That's a shame, we should've done that for today."

There is a recipe for the original pies at the Eel Pie Island Museum on the Twickenham mainland, which claims to date back in time perhaps to King Henry VIII himself.

According to the recipe, you need to boil up some fresh Thames eels, add some mushrooms and shallots, nutmeg, parsley and pepper and salt and then two glasses of sherry. Pop on a puff pastry top and you're good to go.

So, what hope is there of reviving the eel pie tradition as a tasty treat for locals and tourists?

Sheba winks.

"I'm on the social committee here, so I could organise that!"

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