Nelson Mandela House

It was recently announced that Harlech Tower on the South Acton Estate is to be demolished to make way for a new development of mixed and private housing. Not unusual perhaps but this story has a bit of a twist. Since 1981 Harlech Tower has had a, not exactly secret, alter ego. For the popular TV series Only Fools and Horses it became Nelson Mandela House.

I don't know if Harlech Tower and, presumably, the rest of the estate really needs to be demolished to make way for new housing. I have no idea whether it is economically viable, or even necessary, to bring it up to 21st century standards, whatever that may mean, but it seems that local opinion is mixed. Some look forward to the newer housing but others think that the Tower should be preserved. Some are even suggesting that it should be listed. I have a problem with that.

The decision to list a building is complex, if you have several hours to spare  take a look here. Basically, it should be of architectural, cultural, aesthetic or historic importance. Although other opinions are valid, I believe that a tower block in Acton, pretending to be a tower block in Peckham doesn't qualify, even if it is associated with a program as popular as Only Fools and Horses.

Harlech Tower was originally chosen because of its location which was close to both the North Acton rehearsal rooms and BBC Television Centre. It was used for the exterior shots only, the interiors were recorded at the Television Centre

Eventually, and perhaps inevitably, the popularity of the series made filming in Acton difficult, so the exteriors of the last two series were filmed at Whitemead House in Bristol. As far as I know, no one has suggested listing that one..... yet.