The famous Only Fools and Horses Garage Door has been removed - this is why
Arguably the most famous garage door in TV history has been removed from its home in Bristol.But it is in safe hands - with a specialist collector who already owns Del Boy’s yellow Reliant Regal three-wheeler van and his Ford Capri Ghia.
Del Boy’s red no 22 lock-up door was situated in the garage site at Duckmoor Road, Bedminster, until May this year when it was replaced as a result of refurbishment works.
Faced with the need to find a new home for the door, Bristol City Council turned to the team at The Bottle Yard Studios for help.
The council-owned garages were built in 1962 at a similar time to the three high-rise blocks nearby; Southbow House, Winterstoke House and Whitemead House.
Whitemead House featured as a filming location in Only Fools and Horses, portraying the exterior of Del Boy’s Boy’s fictional Peckham high-rise flats famously named ‘Nelson Mandela House’.
Emma Reid, site coordinator at The Bottle Yard Studios, said: “The door represents a small but fun slice of British TV history made here in Bristol and we wanted to make sure it would be preserved for the future.
"We put the word out to our industry contacts and were quickly contacted by specialist collector Scott Harrington who owns the Harrington Best of British Collection. When we found out about the other Only Fools and Horses items Scott had already collected, it seemed like the perfect home for it.
"We felt that the TV industry should benefit too, so we’re pleased to have arranged for Scott to make a generous donation to the Film & TV Charity, an organisation which provided an important lifeline for many TV and film crew throughout the challenges of the pandemic.”
Scott Harrington, of the Harrington Best of British Collection, and his wife began collecting 20 years ago, picking up costumes and props from TV series at auction.
Scott's dad was a fun-loving, patriotic man who loved British TV and became their inspiration for collecting.
Scott said: "He was battling a brain tumour which required major surgery and a long period of treatment, and when we started bringing home bits and pieces for the collection, it always brought a big smile to his face.
"We continued collecting, focusing mainly on items from the 70s through to the 90s. Today the collection is bigger than ever.
“We already own Del Boy’s yellow Reliant Regal three-wheeler van and his Ford Capri Ghia, or ‘The Pratmobile’ as Rodney calls it, as well as Trigger’s medal from the 1996 Christmas special ‘Heroes and Villains’.
"The Reliant Regal is currently on display at The British Motor Museum in Gaydon and we’re in discussions with the museum to arrange for the door and Capri to join it in the future, so that the public can visit.”