Grange Hill Locations - Then And Now

Series Thirteen revised 5th May 2007

Introduction In series 13, firmly planted in Borehamwood, locations were chosen a little way from the busy Borehamwood high street. The production crew filmed around Leeming Road where there are a selection of small shops and businesses. The final episode saw a trip to Copthall Stadium, Mill Hill. Manor Way is used a lot - both for the Rashim Household, and the park area near the very top of the long road. The top part of Manor Way hasn't changed a great deal since 1991, but the lower part has seen many new business and industrial units.

The Chemist's
Animal rights protestor stands outside a chemists shop selling non cruelty-free cosmetics.	Leeming Road, Borehamwood.  Those saplings have become big enough to get in the way.  Behind them, the Coop is still present, as is second-hand car showroom.  The Chemists, however, has become a Community Shop, but there are two other pharmaceutical outlets nearby.  Perhaps the Grange Hill protest stopped customers buying there!
Ronnie enters St. Mary's School angry that they dissect rats in their biology classes.	I took this photo in 2005 as part of Series 8's locations -it is the front of what was Hillside School, Hillside Avenue, Borehamwood and was used to portray Brookdale (from the rear).  A jobsworth burly security guard told me off for taking this photo and sent me on my way, but he had no right, since this is a public highway.
The Rashim Family Home
Robbie brings Aichaa home after an afternoon date...	Manor Way looking towards Elstree Way, a short distance away. (not a perfect match up)
Akik puts the rubbish out, and Dad looks at Robbie and Aichaa with mistrust...	3 Manor Way, Borehamwood.  The number visible in some shots, and the door, garage, and previous shots support this to be the location.
Police Station
Robbie convinces Mike that they should give their evidence about the pub brawl, and they cross the road to the police station.	Borehamwood Police Station, along Elstree Way.  A few cosmetic changes to this place, and no gap to discourage visitors from crossing the busy road.  Behind us, is Oaklands College, used occasionally both externally and internally for the series.
	Just before we see Mike and Robbie, we glimpse the side of a building - this used to be where I worked until 1983. It used to be Elstree Computing, but it is now an Estate Agents. You can glimpse the building in a state of construction in one of the Robin Askwith Confessions films. We used to have a good view of the old Elstree Studios which were over the back.
The Court Case
A car pulls up outside court - Mike and Robbie have to give evidence for the pub brawl which left a man in a coma.	Hendon Town Hall, along the Burroughs - an enormous building that houses Hendon Town Council.
Robbie, although he doesn't know it, narrowly avoids an encounter with a couple of people who want him to keep quiet...	Matching view of the left side of the entrance of the town hall at Hendon. This is a massive building - but also one that was closed on Saturday, so no internal photographs.
Tegs's Father's Flat
	Tegs goes to see his dad. Flats in Howard Drive, Borehamwood. They've been given a bit of a cleanup since 1991, and the tacky Gaitskell House logo has gone.
Series End - Mike's Race
Mr. Griffiths arrives at the Stadium...	Footbridge over the Great North Way south of Sunny Gardens Road
	I love this tree - I remember it being here when I was a child growing up in Hendon.  It's unapologetically slap bang in the middle of the footpath! Sunny Hill Park.  Old photos from about 1900 show rolling hills, sheep - a quiet rural area.  Now it's an ugly urban sprawl. Down the hill from here is the Great North Way, the footbridge and Copthall Stadium.
White van carrying Grange Hill spectators approaches the turn off.	White van carrying... who knows?  turns off too early! The Great North Way, looking North West, viewed from the footbridge in 2007.
Above: White van turns into Copthall Stadium.. Right: two views of the same place in 2007. Trees are enormous now. You can see the house on the right briefly as the van turns in.  Copthall grounds are immediately behind here, and the stadium itself is some distance away.
Mr. Griffiths descends the ramp to approach the stadium.	No petrol station here now.. All pretty much the same though. I hope George A didn't have to go back the same way he came - it's a fiercely steep hill going back the way he came.
	? So is this Copthall Stadium... Seems weird that they'd go all that way and then film the race somewhere else, but the photos I have for the Stadium today don't match the racetrack - the stands seem too big.  Perhaps we can find this out in due course.
Grange Hill sits down to watch Mike Bentley run his race.