family affairs / stanley street

[funkiejunkie]

british soap, pretty naff really, but ran from 1997 - 2005, was filmed somewhere around merton in london i think. (near where they film the bill) anyone know the exact location of the set ???

thanks

simon

[batman]

This is a list of locations listed on IMDb ...



LINK: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183068/locations



These are some notes from the series Wiki page ...



"Prior to the establishment of the outdoor "Stanley Street" set, most of the location footage was shot in West London. "The Lock" and its surrounding areas were filmed at Yeading Marina, shots of the town centre of Charnham were in Uxbridge, and wooded areas featured Ruislip, Denham and Iver among others. The houses seen in exterior shots were in Hayes, Uxbridge, and other parts of west London. In the early episodes scenes were sometimes filmed near a railway viaduct; this was Wharncliffe Viaduct in Hanwell, West London.

Several episodes made heavy use of the police station sets of ITV1's police drama The Bill, made by the same TV production company. The words "Sun Hill" were removed from the front of the police station for the Family Affairs shoot. In similar fashion, The hospital sets used for St Hugh's on the Bill were also used for Family Affairs' own hospital, St. David's."

[Ray]

name='funkiejunkie']british soap, pretty naff really, but ran from 1997 - 2005, was filmed somewhere around merton in london i think. (near where they film the bill) anyone know the exact location of the set ???

thanks

simon

Yes, I was an Extra on Family Affairs and The Bill, the studios are at Deerpark Road, a 10 minute walk from South Wimbledon Station. The sets were next door to each other, and since Family Affairs finished I have recognised that street very well disguised in episodes of The Bill. Shame that Family Affairs finished, I thought it was more entertaining than Eastenders, but then again, what isn't?

I loved working on both shows, everyone was very friendly, and they have a terrific restaurant too, far superior to Elstree, and you didn't have to pay for your meals, unlike the miserly BBC. I suppose they need every penny they can get to pay Wosses obscene salary!

[Steve Crook]

name='Ray']Yes, I was an Extra on Family Affairs and The Bill, the studios are at Deerpark Road, a 10 minute walk from South Wimbledon Station. The sets were next door to each other, and since Family Affairs finished I have recognised that street very well disguised in episodes of The Bill. Shame that Family Affairs finished, I thought it was more entertaining than Eastenders, but then again, what isn't?

I loved working on both shows, everyone was very friendly, and they have a terrific restaurant too, far superior to Elstree, and you didn't have to pay for your meals, unlike the miserly BBC. I suppose they need every penny they can get to pay Wosses obscene salary!

I live at the other end of that borough (Merton). We often see policemen and police cars around - and it turns out they're just filming episodes of The Bill. I did once ask our local beat copper about it and he said that it's easy to tell if it's real police or a bunch of actors - their uniforms fit better



When I do watch episodes of The Bill (not so much these days) it's fun to play "spot the location" as a lot of it is filmed in the borough.



The main road, Merantun Way, runs along the back of "the studio" in Deerpark Road. You can see all the police vehicles, traffic cones and other props they have ready for use.



It's not a real big fancy studio, just a unit in a small industrial estate. When they're filming there they put the blue lamp up outside and it becomes "Sun Hill"



Steve

[funkiejunkie]

hi ray..

thanks for the reply, i have now managed to find it in google maps, i did not realise how small the set is, and i was looking for a few days and always remember the big warehouse roof on certain scenes at the end of the road opposite the pub !! so thats what i was looking for some big roof on the map to try and place the street, little realising that it was directly behind what they use for sunhill police station. and like you said i have noticed stanley street in a few episodes from the bill... i noticed on the map it looks like they hold a market there now !!!

anyways.. thanks again

simon

[Ray]

name='funkiejunkie']hi ray..

thanks for the reply, i have now managed to find it in google maps, i did not realise how small the set is, and i was looking for a few days and always remember the big warehouse roof on certain scenes at the end of the road opposite the pub !! so thats what i was looking for some big roof on the map to try and place the street, little realising that it was directly behind what they use for sunhill police station. and like you said i have noticed stanley street in a few episodes from the bill... i noticed on the map it looks like they hold a market there now !!!

anyways.. thanks again

simon

You are welcome Simon, glad to have been able to help. Occasionally they would film away from the main set on The Bill, on one occasion we went to Kennington and they hired a house that they used to portray a drugs den. I don't think that they need to do a lot to it to make it look convincing, but it looked terrific on screen. It took two days at the house to film that particular episode, but the end result was certainly worthwhile.

[srg2712]

In a few episodes lately the location has been on an estate which is built with sloping house fronts like a pyramid and garages underneath, (the latest episode on this estate shown on 27th Aug 09), can anyone tell me were this estate is.

Regards, Steve.

[Steve Crook]

name='srg2712']In a few episodes lately the location has been on an estate which is built with sloping house fronts like a pyramid and garages underneath, (the latest episode on this estate shown on 27th Aug 09), can anyone tell me were this estate is.

Regards, Steve.

A screen grab would help.



But given where it's filmed, these houses aren't too far away and although they aren't exactly as you describe, these are the ones I immediately thought of when I read your description



Lowry Crescent, Mitcham





Steve

[srg2712]

Hi Steve, these are not the houses, the estate has grey concrete buildings with a walkway in between the houses, I think that they are on two or three levels and quite long like a block of flats but without lifts.

Cheers, Steve.