Slade Prison

[Birchy]

What was the actual prison featured in the sitcom 'Porridge'? Only the facade of it appeared in the titles, but it presumably wasn't really called Slade, was it?

[jenstar]

If I recall correctly (it does sometimes happen), it wasn't actually a prison at all, it was a post office depot or something like that which the BBC stuck some big heavy doors on to film that sequence.

[smorodina]

I'm pretty sure it was Maidstone prison. Certainly looks like it.

[Pinotage]

It is an old prison at St Albans, right next to to railway station. At the time it was owned by the local council, they stored equipment and vehicles there. Now it is a block of offices, but the original facade - and the big studded prison doors are still there. You can go and stand in front of them if you with.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Well, in the movie, it's HMP Colchester. See the following for more details:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ian.rankin/index.html
?gallery.html

[Birchy]

Incredible. No wonder we pay so much for our TV licence. The BBC use 4 different locations for a single shot of a prison facade! Can AB's editor please intervene???!!!

[Pinotage]

I don't know about a Porridge movie; I didn;t know there was one. But there is no doubt that the facade of the prison used in the title sequence of the TV series is the building in St Albans.

 

Anyone who doubts it can meet me at St Albans station with a �20 note and see for themselves. If I'm wrong I'll give them �20 and refund their railfare. Otherwise, I'll take their �20.

[Robbie86]

I definitely is St Albans, I'm from there and have seen it!!