Willows Ait

The first scene written for Willows Ait was the section taking place a high-tech dental surgery within a former icehouse.

Willows Ait is a fictional ait - an old English word for island - along the River Thames, between Kingston-upon-Thames and Richmond-upon-Thames.

These small islands exist in real life, and perhaps the most famous is Eel Pie Island (which itself is an ait) in Twickenham. Famous for many reasons, Eel Pie Island was also mentioned in George Harrison's song 'Cockamamie Business'.

See the Wikipedia page for more on Eel Pie Island.

Willows Ait is set in Surrey, England and includes fictional and existing places. For example, the plot details an icehouse, which can be found in real life in Home Park at the Hampton Wick entrance.

The fictional Kingswillow Park is an amalgamation of the real life Bushey Park, Home Park and Richmond Park.

Willows AIt is an eyot for which there are many inhabited and uninhabited up and down the River Thames. Willows AIt was inspired by Teddington's Trowlock Island which has a foot ferry.

A subplot centers around an industry leader in backstage equipment hire and an app called 'ConcertInsider'. This gives a greater understanding about a character known as The Norseman, who possesses an insatiable passion for outdoor reality shows but is a failed contestant himself. This experience drives him to fully embrace a method-acting approach when working as an enforcer.