The Studio was founded by us,

Jayne & Kim back in 1993.

We had both been involved in the local

music scene since the 1980s, and knew

from experience how difficult it could be

to find good quality, affordable

rehearsal and recording space.

So, rather than just complain about it,

we decided to build one ourselves.

The Bridge -

 Not ideal when bands arrive with a full drum kit

The island -

Lovely in summer not so much in the winter

Our first studio was on Platt's Eyot,

an island in the River Thames near

Hampton hence the name WaterRat.

Tote that barge and lift

that bale

The famous little van

It was a brilliant, slightly mad place to start. Access to the island was over a narrow

bridge that most cars could not fit over,

so we used a little Honda Acty van

to ferry bands' gear across. Even the building materials had to be taken over by barge

With help from family, we managed to get

the studio built in around three months and opened in the summer of 1993.

Those shorts do NOT

count as PPE

Jayne as a trainee

brickie’s mate

We stayed on the island for several years,

but eventually our lease came to an end

and the landlords would not renew it because

they had plans to redevelop the site

(which incidentally they still haven't done

nearly 30 years later !).

This did mean we had to start again.

After a long search, we found a unit in Woking.

It was just what we needed, although,

as usual — it needed a lot of work,

but the good news was

that this time we did not have

 to get all the materials there by boat.

Jayne now a fully-fledged brickie

Less hair, more sensible

work wear

With the help of friends and family, we spent

months converting an old industrial unit,

again doing most of the work ourselves,

and finally opened in November 2001.

Careful !! - Don't drop it  

Finishing touches

Very hard to watch

All Gone !

We expected to be there for the long haul,

But after about ten years we discovered

that the building was due to be demolished

as part of road improvement works.

That came as a real shock.

For once we didn’t have to build it all ourselves

After discussions with Woking Borough

Council, they recognised that the studio had

become an important local facility and offered

to build us a new purpose-built studio nearby.

Hopefully our home for years to come

We moved into the current building in

June 2013 and were only

closed for around two weeks during the

move,which meant we could keep things

going for the bands, teachers, students

and groups who used us regularly.

Since then, WaterRat has operated as a not- for-profit limited company, with the aim of keeping the facility available and affordable for the local community.

We have never really run the studio as a purely commercial business. The aim has always been to charge enough to keep the doors open, pay the bills and look after the building, while keeping the space accessible

to as many people as possible.

Music studios are not easy places to create. They need specialist rooms, soundproofing, equipment, parking, access, and a location where noise will not cause problems. Once a facility like this disappears, it is very hard to replace. That is why we feel so strongly about protecting WaterRat for the future.

Over the years, the studio has become much more than just a place where bands rehearse. It is a meeting place, a creative space, a learning environment, and for many people a big part of their social life. Some people come here to rehearse for gigs, some to record, some to take lessons, some to sit music exams, and some simply because music gives them confidence, purpose and a sense of belonging.

We have five rehearsal rooms and a recording studio, and unusually for this type of facility, the building is accessible, including the upstairs recording studio. That matters to us because music should not only be available to people who can afford expensive studios or who fit neatly into a standard commercial model.

We help the community mainly by keeping a specialist music facility available at realistic prices, and by using that facility to support people and organisations who might otherwise struggle to access it.

That includes:

• offering rehearsal space at reduced rates for local music teachers, lessons and individual practice

• hosting a weekly children's music workshop for around 30 weeks a year at a heavily subsidised rate

• providing a venue for more than 30 days of face-to-face music exams each year
• offering discounted recording sessions for local schools

• supporting community choirs, charity groups and local organisations with low-cost or free recording where possible

• recording charity singles and supporting charity events

• loaning equipment and expertise to local schools and organisations for concerts and music events

• giving students and young people the chance to sit in on recording sessions and see what working in a real studio is like

• offering work opportunities and experience to vulnerable or disadvantaged people in the community

• Since Covid, we have also become especially important as one of the very few remaining local venues for face-to-face music exams. In some cases, we are the only practical local option for students who still need or prefer to take exams in person rather than online.

The recording side of what we do is also important. Recording normally requires both specialist space and someone with the skills to engineer the session. Because we have the studio, and because we and others are often willing to give time voluntarily, we can support schools, community groups and charity projects in a way that would be difficult or impossible without the building and equipment.

After more than 30 years of WaterRat, we have started thinking seriously about the long-term future of the studio.

WaterRat has never been just a normal commercial business to us. It has been a huge part of our lives, and over the years it has become part of the local music community as well. A lot of people have rehearsed here, recorded here, taken exams here, learned here, worked here, made friends here, and in some cases grown up here.

As we get older, we want to make sure that what has been built does not simply disappear when we eventually step back.

The current studio is a specialist, purpose-built music facility, and places like this are becoming increasingly rare. Once a building like this is lost, it is very hard to replace. That is why we believe the best future for WaterRat is to become a registered charity, with a proper charitable structure and trustees who can help protect the facility for the community in the years ahead.

There are practical financial reasons too. Running a building like this is expensive, and we have always relied on keeping costs under control so that the studio can remain affordable. Recent changes in local authority support have made long-term planning even more important, but our main reason for pursuing charitable status is to protect the studio for the future.

Our aim is to preserve WaterRat as a community recreational music facility for Woking and the surrounding area — somewhere that can continue to support musicians, young people, schools, teachers, community groups, charities and local residents long into the future. For us, becoming a charity is not about changing what WaterRat is. It is about protecting what WaterRat has always tried to be.

We are very proud of what WaterRat has become. It started with two people, a lot of enthusiasm, a slightly impractical island, a tiny van, and a belief that local musicians deserved somewhere decent and affordable to play.

More than 30 years later, that belief is still the same.

We want WaterRat to continue as a friendly, practical, down-to-earth place where people can make music, meet others, learn new skills and feel part of a creative community.

A huge thank you to all the bands, musicians, teachers, students, schools, community groups, charities, staff, friends and family who have been part of the story so far.

And of course, special thanks to our brilliant staff, past and present, who have helped keep the place running.

Rock on !

Jayne & Kim