River Lee Lock Keepers Cottages

[I Spartacus]

Back in 1992 we built the Big Breakfast television studios at Old Ford, I remember the address very well, it was 1-3 lock keepers cottages on the River Lee Navigation, and yes it was the job from hell.

 

Everything had to be carried over the lock gates or delivered or taken away by barge. I can remember it was always a dodgy area and very run down. There were hardly any boats moored along the tow-path,,well very few maybe one sometimes., There were hardly any boats using the lock. It might have been used about three times a day..

 

Well I stopped off there yesterday just to have a look to see how it has changed. The Olympic stadium is right next to it now. The transformation is incredible there were boats moored all along the tow-path, everything has changed so much. Just how long has it been like this, is it just since the Olympics have finished , so nice to the area has been transformed now.

[StephenA]

I remember going through there one morning and we jumped up and down on top of the boat but no-one saw us....

[bag 'o' bones]

Back in 1992 we built the Big Breakfast television studios at Old Ford, I remember the address very well, it was 1-3 lock keepers cottages on the River Lee Navigation, and yes it was the job from hell.

 

Everything had to be carried over the lock gates or delivered or taken away by barge. I can remember it was always a dodgy area and very run down. There were hardly any boats moored along the tow-path,,well very few maybe one sometimes., There were hardly any boats using the lock. It might have been used about three times a day..

 

Well I stopped off there yesterday just to have a look to see how it has changed. The Olympic stadium is right next to it now. The transformation is incredible there were boats moored all along the tow-path, everything has changed so much. Just how long has it been like this, is it just since the Olympics have finished , so nice to the area has been transformed now.

Did you build the replica in Telford?

[gazza]

The big breakfast was awesome, essential viewing prior to walking to school.

[pearley]

Very few boars moored there in 2009, congested in 2014.

[Tim Lewis]

Back in 1992 we built the Big Breakfast television studios at Old Ford, I remember the address very well, it was 1-3 lock keepers cottages on the River Lee Navigation, and yes it was the job from hell.

 

Everything had to be carried over the lock gates or delivered or taken away by barge. I can remember it was always a dodgy area and very run down. There were hardly any boats moored along the tow-path,,well very few maybe one sometimes., There were hardly any boats using the lock. It might have been used about three times a day..

 

Well I stopped off there yesterday just to have a look to see how it has changed. The Olympic stadium is right next to it now. The transformation is incredible there were boats moored all along the tow-path, everything has changed so much. Just how long has it been like this, is it just since the Olympics have finished , so nice to the area has been transformed now.

 

The area to the West of the Lea there, part known as Fish Island, is going through a massive regeneration/gentrification wih dozens of art galleries, cafes and microbreweries opening there as well as residential development being constructed.

 

The boats are part of the hundreds that stretch the length of the waterways in East London.

 

Tim

Edited March 24, 2016 by Tim Lewis

[glenvar]

I remember being asked many a time if we could stop running our saws / strimmers etc as they were filming outside, so we were forced to watch Kelly brook strutting around the garden. Does anyone remember the security or rather lack of it, just that little picket fence

[Nightwatch]

My son appeared on the programme once being interview on the bed. His character was dumb, in Cyderdelic, (who remembers that?)

 

Towards the end of the piece he was sick on the bed, mushroom soup, that he held in his mouth for ages. Caused a bit of scene.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cyderdelic&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari

 

Martyn

Edited March 25, 2016 by Nightwatch

[I Spartacus]

I remember being asked many a time if we could stop running our saws / strimmers etc as they were filming outside, so we were forced to watch Kelly brook strutting around the garden. Does anyone remember the security or rather lack of it, just that little picket fence

O the picket fence !! yes I remember that, you could jump over it !!! I think they only had one security guard, or someone dressed up to look like one, We were still working there for about 4 weeks after the show started finishing off bit and pieces.

 

I remember painting the place, the paint colours were so horrendous the paint supplier just looked at us and said who it their right mind are going to use these, they had never sold some of them as they were so bad.

 

And for all of you pump out toilet fans, yes there was a pump out toilet at the bottom of the garden, with thirty people in the studio, it needed to be pumped every other day, and it was a public toilet as well that it worse.

 

It was built for Planet 24 Bob Geldof's company, hence Paula Yates being on the show, then the ginger nut Chris Evens, and the lovely Gaby Roslin , she was a top girl .

 

O yes and Paula's bed , the stories that could be told Lol

[MaryP]

There was a huge fire, and the cottages were rebuilt. Beautiful inside now. I has featured in quite a few telly programes since - ones about celebs cooking for their pals spring to mind.

 

The stadium isn't so brilliant for the people who live there!