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On March 20th 2003 Big Breakfast Fan Marc Neun paid a visit to Lock Keepers Cottages. After reading on Bow Locks that the house was in a sorry state he wanted to see it for himself but he ended up getting a lot more than he bargained for - he met the new owner and was even invited inside the house. Marc picks up the story,
"The new owners are a family with young children. When I arrived they were sectioning off the fire damage part (presumably so they can live in the other side). The guy that I was chatting to said he had never seen the programme! The fire really has wiped out most of the lounge and kitchen. The floor is littered with cue cards and props. I didn't get a look upstairs as the roof is unsafe. It was quite dark too as all the windows have been boarded up."
"All I know is that when I visited, the opposite end to the lounge and French windows had been sectioned off, so that the family could live in the house while it is being renovated. I was speaking to the new owner who believed that the BB house (as it was) will eventually be forgotten. It seems I wasn't the only fan to pay homage! They also say that Planet 24 left them the 'off air' out-takes tapes, but they had not seen many editions of the show."
As you can see the house is actually in good shape. Early reports of the whole of the 1st floor being destroyed were rubbish. Although the roof is currently extremely unstable it is possible to rebuild. Most damage to the ground floor is superficial - smoke and water damage. The pictures show a lot of damage to the ceilings of the lounge and hallway however this probably was more to do with P24 ripping studio equipment out of the house rather than the fire. It should also be noted that the ceiling of the living room was already in a sorry state while the show was still on air.
It is good to know that the new owner fully intends to restore Lock Keepers Cottages. Sadly now the house is in private hands and intended for residential use I really can't see the show's identity lasting long at the house. While externally the house will probably go unchanged I expect we've seen the last of The Big Breakfast's day-glo colours inside Lock Keepers cottages. Although the family now residing in the house seem very friendly and were willing to let Marc in to take pictures we must respect their privacy. The house is theirs now. We've had 10 years of memories from Lock Keepers Cottages, they are just beginning theirs and I'm sure they don't want them interrupted by fanboys brandishing cameras at their front door!
We must also say a big thank you to Marc for sharing these photos with the web community. He could have held on to them, put them up on ebay but he didn't. His generosity has ensured that all Big Breakfast fans get one last glimpse inside Lock Keepers cottages...
Big Breakfast house pictures © Marc Neun 20th March 2003 and should not be used without permission. Many thanks for sharing them.
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