Harlech Tower, Acton. Used for the exterior of "Nelson mandela House" from 1981 to 1985. Photo taken by me on a visit there in 2013.
Harlech Tower is a towerblock on Park Road, Acton, West London. The towerblock is near several others on the same estate and was used as the exterior scenes of "Nelson Mandela House" in Only Fools And Horses from 1981 to 1985. From 1988 to 2003 the exterior scenes of the tower were filmed at a towerblock in Bristol. Harlech Tower was last seen in To Hull And Back - (25th December 1985). The episodes in between that episode and Danger UXD (15th January 1989) did not features exterior shots of "Nelson Mandela House", in which location filming had moved to Bristol.
Harlech Tower did feature in the opening titles of every episode ever made, long after filming ceased there.
History
Harlech Tower was built in the 1960s.
Usage in Only Fools And Horses
Harlech Tower was chosen by Ray Butt in 1981 when the show was being prepared. The estate that the towerblock was on looked very working class, so felt suitable for a new sitcom about market traders who lived in a flat in a towerblock. A caretaker took Ray, the set designer and the shows writer to a flat in the towerblock and the designer took some notes. Harlech Tower was used as the exterior of Nelson Mandela House for the first 4 series and the 1985 Christmas special To Hull And Back - (25th December 1985).
In the late 1980s filming switched to a towerblock estate in Bristol. Whitemead House in Ashton in Bristol was the new towerblock used, it did look very different to Harlech Tower and is right next to Bristol Football Ground.
Usage In Rock And Chips
Harlech Tower was again used in Rock And Chips (Prequel to Only Fools And Horses), set in 1960, in which it again doubled as Nelson Mandela House for the first episode of the prequel.
Inbetween OFAH and R&C
After Rock And Chips filmed there in 2009-2010
Appearances in Only Fools And Horses
This is a list of the episodes of OFAH that Harlech Tower appeared in, and the scenes in each episode the towerblock appeared in, as well as other part of the housing estate.
- Go West Young Man - (15th September 1981) - The garage blocks, and the forecourt of Harlech Tower appeared in the scenes where Rodney drove the dodgy car around the estate and then Del sold the dodgy car to the Australian Man.
- Cash And Curry (22nd September 1981) - A few brief shots of the tower appeared in the freeze frame sequence where Del and Rodney were raising £2000.
- A Slow Bus To Chingford (6th October 1981) - The forecourt, dust chute and entrance to stairwells appeared when the Trotters drove the bus into the estate and Del found Grandad had conned him and chased him up the stairs, with Rodney trying to calm Del down.
- The Russians Are Coming (13th October 1981) - The forecourt and entrance doorway appeared when Del, Rodney and Grandad were practising the 4 minute warning before a nuclear attack.
- Diamonds Are For Heather (30th December 1982) - The playground outside Harlech Tower appeared where Del was playing with the son of his new girlfriend Heather.
- Happy Returns (21st February 1985) - Pathways outside Harlech Tower, a doorway, and the neighbouring towerblocks were seen.
- To Hull And Back - (25th December 1985) - The exterior of Harlech tower was seen when Del threw the money out of the window, money he thought was fake.
Even though a different towerblock in Bristol was chosen in later episodes, Harlech Tower appeared in the opening titles of every episode of Only Fools And Horses from 1981 to 2003.
Gallery
