Astoria

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David Gilmour's Astoria Studio [click for larger]

The Astoria is a house boat turned recording studio owned by David Gilmour, former guitarist with Pink Floyd. It is moored on the River Thames near Hampton Court. Gilmour purchased the boat in 1986, because he "spent half of [his] life in recording studios with no windows, no light" but on the boat there are many windows, with beautiful scenery on the outside".

The boat was built in 1911 for impresario Fred Karno, who wanted to have the best houseboat on the river. He designed it so that there could be an entire 90-piece orchestra playing on the deck of the ship.

The two most recent Pink Floyd albums, A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell were recorded on the boat, as well latest David Gilmour solo album On An Island. It was also used for mastering the sound of Pink Floyd live albums Delicate Sound of Thunder and P•U•L•S•E as well as the P•U•L•S•E VHS/DVD, David Gilmour's Remember That Night DVD and forthcoming live album, Live in Gdańsk.

David Gilmour in the studio [click for larger]

the house boat on which
David Gilmour's Astoria
recording studio is
situated, was owned, at
one point, by this
reknowned comic.

The riverside garden where
 Astoria is moored was
part of Garrick’s House and
is reached via a tunnel/grotto
(supposedly designed by
Capability Brown) under the
road. But it is private—there
is no public access, so you
can only see it from the Surrey bank

a 2005 British television series that
featured David Gilmour as the
special guest on this particular
episode

on an island website is
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