BBC Going Straight Filming Locations

Going Straight was the sequel to the BBC’s much-loved Porridge sitcom starring Ronnie Barket and Richard Beckinsale.

A single series of Going Straight was filmed and aired in 1978 and attracted viewing audiences in excess of 15 million. Although further series were planned, these were shelved in 1979 after the very unexpected death of Richard Beckinsale at the age of 31.

H.M. Slade Prison

St Albans Gatehouse, located at St Alban’s Registry Office doubled as H.M. Slade prison doors in Going Straight. The same building used for the notorious prison in Porridge’s opening credits. Although still very recognizable, the building has had a little facelift over the years.

The Dolphin Hotel

In episode 3, Going to WOrk we see Fletch start a new job as a night porter. The externals for the hotel were filmed at The Dolphin Hotel, Norfolk Square, London. The hotel still has its doors open today as shown below.

Episode 5 – Going To Be Alright

After leaving work early one morning Fletch gets questioned by two police officers as to why he is wandering around the Paddington area of London. This was filmed just down the road from The Dolphin Hotel at Gloucester Square.

Episode 6 – Going Off The Rails

Fletch begins to fall back into old habits and we see him helping out with an ongoing Bank Job. Due to the bank job taking longer than expected Fletch has to make a phone call to reschedule the transport. However, when he comes out of the phone box he bumps into the Sargent.

This one took some tracking down as the location has changed so much over the years. This scene was filmed on Whitton High Street. The image below is an older shot of the street. The 95p Store was the pet shop, the white wall was the wall with the Post Office writing, and the square concrete on the floor is where the phonebox once stood. Below the image is a street view of how it looks today.

Not Yet Located

From the final episode, there are a few other locations I have not identified as of yet. I expect these are in or near Whitton and it might be the buildings have been redeveloped. If you can help with these, please comment below.