Hadlow Tower

[andy at handiwork]

This evening on BBC2 there was a programme about building conservation which featured Hadlow Tower in Kent, an ornate Victorian folly standing taller than Nelsons Column. I am sure there will be some amongst you who, like me, have shot adult stuff there or will have watched knowingly or otherwise, stuff that used it as a location. It was certainly very run down when I shot a 3 day BDSM extravaganza there years ago, with electric wiring from the 30s and whole floors that weren't safe to walk on. Four million quid of English Heritage and Lottery money has transformed the place though I still recognised some of the rooms and spiral staircases from my shoot. Strangely, when discussing the history of the place, the programme made no mention of the tower being used for some years as a naughty party venue and porn video location. Funny that.

Its on catch up on the iplayer for anyone who missed it and remembers the place as it was.

[Essex Lad]

I shot there although don't remember it being taller than Nelson's Column.

[andy at handiwork]

The rehabilitated tower has had the 40 ft pinnacle, missing when the place was a great though problem-some filming location, restored, making it, according to the programme higher than Nelsons Column, but not by much.

[mark cremona]

I recall we shot parts of Anal Clinic there, it might have been Money for Nothing Sex for Free, it was in the early 90's with Mr Honey at the helm, Jim Slip may be able to confirm as he was doing the lighting as I remember.

We were shooting an orgy scene, Drajika was in it I think, anyway we had to order 50 Pizzas from the local takeaway in Hadlow Village to feed everyone, they were stone fucking cold by the time they arrived and we had been filming for ten hours by then without a break as Mr Honey was something of a slave driver so whenever I see those films in a Sex Shop all I can think about was those disgusting cold pizzas.

[andy at handiwork]

We had great catering by the producer's partner, but the days were very long. My abiding memory is the power blowing whenever I plugged more than 3 red-heads in at the same time. We got a small gennie in but had to place it so far from the house so as not to annoy the neighbours that by the time the juice got to us I still couldn't get much more than another red powered up. This was before the advent of florries and LEDs. All the windows had to be traced for privacy and I had to keep telling the girls getting their arses whipped not to scream so much especially when we were on the roof. I recall the ground floor dungeon room smelled of stale pee and my camera/sound assistant did a runner on the second day for reasons of his and his g/f's own. Oh happy days.