Forget Hollywood, you need to bucket list Borehamwood!
The home of UK film and television probably seems quite inconspicuous, doesn't it? Not quite the glamour of Leicester Square or the South Bank, but a short train ride away from them will quickly change your mind. The first Star Wars film was made here, it's got the Strictly Come Dancing set, and it has its very own walk of fame à la California, with a star-lined street starting at the station.
Visiting the Hertfordshire town is an easy, fun, and affordable day out, with free audience tickets available to the biggest shows like The Chase, Pointless and Mock The Week, which are filmed at the town's various studios. There is free entry to the local museum which has become a pilgrimage site for EastEnders super fans, and the train journey is simple and enjoyable - under 30 minutes direct from central London, West Hampstead, St Albans or Luton.
I've had pleasure of calling this part of the world home for the past 20 years, so whether it's TV studio or Thameslink trivia, I've got you covered! Let me show you the best things to see and do, and how to get there in this Borehamwood blog.
I love EastEnders and want to visit. How?
I'm afraid you can't take the train to Walford East, but hop on the Thameslink to Elstree & Borehamwood instead. When you leave the station, turn left and follow the blue line on the floor which will take you along the Borehamwood walk of fame - yes, with stars and plaques just like the ones Stateside.
I find it such a charming feature, the town being so proud of its artistic heritage. See if you can spot Babs in between the bus stops: the late, great Dame Barbara Windsor. If you're like me, you'll remember her best as EastEnders matriarch Peggy Mitchell.
Around five minutes' walk along Shenley Road, you'll reach the Elstree & Borehamwood Museum on your right-hand side. It's located above the town library. I always find it quite odd entering the main entrance to be greeted by bookshelves, but don't be fooled, head to the top floor and you'll soon be rewarded.
What strikes me instantly is the giant sparkling "40" which frames the museum entrance on the top floor. It signals that following the TV programme's 40th anniversary, EastEnders has taken over the museum for a special celebration - this is the Mecca for hardcore Walford-lovers.
Enter the museum and you'll find the almost mythical Queen Vic bust which killed Dirty Den, the real Beales's fruit stall, part of the Queen Vic bar from the previous set, and a host of interactive exhibits chronicling the nation's favourite continuous drama.
I find the cherry on top is you're given a free "Get outta my pub!" beermat for visiting. Oh, and grab a selfie with a Kat Slater mask behind the bar too.
Make sure you check the museum's opening times before travel, as it's usually only open Tuesday to Thursday 12-6pm, and Saturday 10am-3pm. Entry is free!
When you're done at the museum, head across the road to Clarendon Road or Stratfield Road, where you can peer into the real set, and often catch the stars as they leave or arrive for a day's filming.
Visiting Elstree Studios: How to get tickets for TV show audiences
I can't let you make a trip here without recommending the wealth of TV shows filmed here which you can be part of - either as a contestant or as an audience member. There are three sets of studios in Elstree and Borehamwood: the BBC studios (known as BBC Elstree), Elstree Studios, and Sky Studios Elstree. Most shows you can get tickets to are produced at Elstree Studios, a 10-minute walk from the railway station along Shenley Road, you can't miss it.
TV shows made in Borehamwood include: EastEnders, Strictly Come Dancing, The Chase, Pointless, Mock The Week and Beat The Chasers.
Films made in Borehamwood include: King Arthur, Paddington, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, X-Men, The King's Speech, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Summer Holiday.
The Queen music video for Bohemian Rhapsody was also filmed at Elstree Studios.
Unfortunately, you usually can't book tours of the studios unless it's on a special opening day.
The good news is for TV shows - it's audiences galore and each week there are usually a dozen or so shows being recorded or broadcast live. To get tickets for them, my tip is to go direct to a specialist audience or casting company instead of the TV channel commissioning or broadcasting the show. The main players for the shows made in Borehamwood are:
Have a look through the shows on offer from these audience service providers, and you can bag yourself some free tickets. From personal experience, these are slick, well-rehearsed operations so it's key you arrive on time and with minimal baggage, as you'll need to go through security and may need to hand in your electronic devices as some recordings are done under embargo - it's all good fun though, you'll have a great laugh!
I went to a recording of a Harry Hill show for Channel 4 with some friends, and although we were in the audience, the show had loads of participation so we appeared on camera a few times. At the end, we got to invade the stage and the performers took questions from us - it really felt more like a club night than a TV studio!
To make sure you arrive on time for your show, take one of the frequent Thameslink services to Elstree & Borehamwood station, and aim to arrive at least 15 minutes early as it will take 10 minutes for you to walk from the station to the studio.
I use the Thameslink app as this has the best real time information, and shows you the exact composition of the train. If the train is eight carriages, I know sitting in carriage six means I'll be closest to the way out footbridge upon arriving. Every second counts!
Borehamwood history, TV and film heritage
Other highlights in Borehamwood include the TV & Film Heritage Trail, a series of plaques which pay homage to celebrities and the locations who have quite literally put the town on the map. You can start this at the station, and follow it the length of Shenley Road and around the side streets beside the studios. Elizabeth Taylor features, as does Simon Cowell, and look out for The X Factor board beside Tesco.
My personal favourite is the Watling Chase Timberland Trail which also starts at the station. This walking trail takes you through the town's oldest green spaces, including the Organ Hall open space and Parkfields to the west. It's a gorgeous tree-lined walk on the town's outskirts perfect for stretching your legs after a show recording in the studios.
I'd also recommend some of the restaurants at the top of Shenley Road close to the station, such as Turkish diner Likya. Borehamwood has a diverse community made up of various diasporas - notably Turkish, Cypriot, Jewish and Middle Eastern - meaning you can often get the real deal when it comes to Mediterranean cuisines. If you are visiting Borehamwood for an evening show, make sure you plan in dinner time ahead!
Travelling to Borehamwood with Thameslink trains
Getting to Borehamwood couldn't be easier with Thameslink. When you take the train, there are no parking fees, you avoid the dastardly A1 which can often leave the town in the most horrendous gridlock, and it's fast and frequent too.
There are up to eight trains an hour travelling to Elstree & Borehamwood from central London stations including London St Pancras International, Farringdon, City Thameslink and Blackfriars, from West Hampstead Thameslink (for Mildmay and Jubilee lines) and from St Albans City (for onward connections to Luton Airport Parkway, Luton and Bedford).
You can pay using contactless or Oyster if travelling from London, but I'd always recommend checking the Thameslink app to see if there's a cheaper advance fare, or promotional offer. Kids travel for £2 with adults at off-peak times, and there's GroupSave discounts when I travel with friends, so well worth doing a little research.
Boring would not be going to Borehamwood, it's a simple, easy day out for film and TV lovers, and the array of shows and heritage on offer means whatever your preference is at the pictures, there will be something for you.
Within half an hour of the capital, and pretty much all within a 15-minute walk of the station, you can get your film fix or TV trivia hit so easily. Visiting the museum left me with one final EastEnders thought: "I didn't become a little bit of a super fan, I became a total super fan!"