Only Fools and Horses fans gobsmacked to learn classic BBC sitcom WASN’T filmed in London
FANS will be left gobsmacked to learn that classic BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses wasn't filmed in London.
The legendary sitcom showcasing the comedy capers of Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and his brother Rodney became a national treasure.
Only Fools and Horses was first broadcast in 1981 and it won many fans both in the UK and overseas. People consider it to be Britain’s best sit-com of all time.
The show was set in Peckham in South East London and written by John Sullivan.
However, while some scenes were filmed in West London, a large amount of the production was shot far away from the capital.
From the late 1980s and particularly the 1990s, the show was made in Bristol until it ended in 2003.
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Bristol's Whitemead House tower block featured throughout the show’s life, as Nelson Mandela House, where the Trotters’ apartment was.
Around the corner from it are the lock-up garages where Del Boy and Rodney kept their loot safe.
It was in their garage that they found an old pocket watch that made them their long-awaited fortune.
Nearby, in the Ashton area of Bristol, is the Miles Motor Company, which featured as Boycie’s successful car showroom. Smiley Miley.
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In the same neighbourhood is the Ashton Gate stadium, and its car park stood in for the famous Peckham market.
The Trotter brothers set up here to attempt selling some dodgy skiing gear.
Another notable marketplace is the Broadwalk Shopping Centre, on the outskirts of the city. Here, Del Boy tried unsuccessfully to flog some defective toy dolls.
In the highly popular episode Heroes and Villains, the masked Trotter brothers scared off some muggers who were trying to steal a handbag.
Later in the same episode, Rodney was chased by one of the muggers, only to be saved by Del Boy.
Bristol's Park Avenue was the filming location for the whole of the sequence.
The White Horse in Bedminster, doubled as the local Peckham watering hole the Nag’s Head, where lots of scenes were filmed.
While, The Belgo in Bristol featured in the hilarious fan favourite episode Yuppy Love.
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Many will remember this iconic episode as the bar where Del Boy fell through an open hatch.
Even the Adult Education Centre where Rodney met Cassandra was filmed in Bristol.
Only Fools and Horses' most memorable episodes
The beloved sitcom only aired for seven series but is still adored to this date - here are fans' most memorable scenes from the BBC hit...
- Jolly Boys' Outing - The humorous episode was filled with disaster and also romance. It saw Del Boy, Rodney and Grandad leave Peckham for a day trip to Margate. However, their coach explodes, Rodney is arrested and Del Boy reunites with Raquel.
- Time on their Hands - The episode sees the Trotters reflect on their life in South London after finally becoming millionaires. Airing in 1996, it pulled in an incredible 24million viewers.
- A Touch of Glass - This unforgettable episode sees Del Boy and his chandelier cleaning service. In hilarious scenes, he and Rodney accidentally drop a chandelier, sending it crashing to the floor.
- Stage Fright - Raquel performs with Tony Angelino while pregnant to perform a duet - but she's unaware he has a speech impediment.
- Yuppy Love - Derek attempts to transform himself into a high-flyer, wearing a stripped shirt and red braces. It also sees Del fall through the bar, while Rodney meets Cassandra for the first time.
- Mother Nature's Son - Del Boy inherits an allotment from his grandad, but it's contaminated by a yellow substance. The Peckham Spring Water business is then born - but it's actually just tap water from Nelson Mandela House.
- Heroes and Villains - Del Boy and Rodney dress up as Batman and Robin for Harry Malcolm's party. However, Boycie forgot to mention Harry died, and it had become a wake!
- To Hull and Back - Del Boy is convinced to smuggle diamonds from The Netherlands. PC Roy Slater intercepts them before he's later arrested for corruption. It ends with Del throwing his £15k over the balcony thinking it was fake - when it was in fact real!
- The Russians are Coming - The threat of nuclear war looms over Peckham so the Trotters decide to batten down the hatches. They build a DIY war shelter - on the top of Mandela House.
- The Unlucky Winner Is - Rodney wins a holiday abroad after Del Boy entered him into a painting competition. However, when he lands in Spain Rodney discovers it's a prize for children and must pretend he's a 14-year-old child.