It will de a difficult area re jurisdiction. The BBC employ security guards that can make people leave the private property of the BBC but will have no legal right over public roads. That would be down to the Police to enforce and they probably need individual complaints to be made by residents and of course, arguably the Poice have better things to do with their time.

I do think the BBC could work with the council though, perhaps erecting notices on the Streets reminding people that it is a residential road and loitering is an offence and could be considered a Public Nuisance. That Cast have been asked not to stop (and I do think the BBC should ask them not to stop) so there is no point in hanging around.

By the same token though, I do think it would be a good idea for the BBC to set up some kind of organised meet and greet sessions for cast and fans so there is a way of meeting them that doesn't involve turning up day after day on a public road on the off chance.

Oh yes Elstree has been around for donkeys years but it was mainly a film set for EBritish comedies. It only became a mecca for fans when EE started filming there and I think they were pretty strict the first few years about moving people on.

You just have to look on Twitter to see the amount of people who loiter round Elstree and try to get pictures with the actors. I think it must be really unpleasant to have these weirdos coming up to you and hugging you when you are leaving work. Especially with some of the stalking that has gone on in the past. You also see people on Twitter constantly sending "follow me" tweets to certain actors, or just tweeting nothing but their name over and over again. I find this very odd behaviour. Its like people don't realise that they're just normal people with jobs and can't just appreciate the show without becoming obsessed with the actors about whom they know very little about!

I don't wish to generalize about people that do this but to be fair I think a certain obsessive interest in actors, singers, sports men has always been a part of growing up and most teenagers go through it. It's just that with Social Media, celebrities have become much more 'accessible' and that has lead to a lot of people thinking they almost have a 'right' to meet their idols when they really don't. Even 25-30 years ago when I was a teenager, there really was no way to have contact with an idol but to write to their agent (and it wasn't easy to get hold of that) to request a photo, attend a pop concert (in the crowds amongst thousands of others, no question of waiting backstage), or maybe see them on stage. Getting to meet them face to face or have one to one contact was inconceivable. That 'distance' existed even though logic said they were just normal people.

As I say now, there does seem to be an attitude that actors 'owe' it to their fans to make themselves accessible and the fans have a right to feel upset or affronted if they don't. How much of that is just a change in society, the 'me, me' generation that thinks they should get anything they want immediately rather than working for it (sorry if that offends anyone) and how much down to the world becoming a 'smaller' place thanks to technology I don't know.

I've never been one of those people, I just couldn't make myself do it go up to celebs and bother them when there doing personal business, Ronan Keating was staying in the same hotel I was in Ireland once a couple of years ago I saw him at the bar just drinking with friends I presume and I still wouldn't of disturbed him.

I don't blame people who do as they may never get the opportunity again but can't say it's interested me much.

I disagree with this post: I have been to Palm Beach which doubles as Summer Bay on filming days and I certainly wouldn't call it loitering, and I doubt the hundreds of people who go there every day would either. These are worldwide famous tv shows and it is natural for fans who want to see where they are filmed. I understand Palm Beach is a stunning location and somewhat differs to the Elstree studios but people still go for the same reason. AND it may be a normal job for the actors but when they it, they know these shows are the most popular shows to get into and know the lives they are getting into. BTW I am not an obsessive of either show!

I didn't mean approaching them so much but just being a little 'obsessive'. It's just that 30 years ago that had to be restricted to cutting a photo out of a magazine and sticking it on your bedroom wall. Now, you can tweet them and that additional contact seems to have encouraged the idea that actually meeting them is possible and almost expected.

I did meet some actors in my teens but that was because I was involved in organised fandom for Docto Who and they were doing conventions. But that is very different to hanging around outside their place of work on the off chance they will stop I think as the actors have chosen to be there knowing that the main point of it is to meet fans and you aren't disturbing residents outside of their houses.

As I got older and did get to see famous people round London (I work in an area close to studios and theatres so do see people on streets or in pubs) i'd just decided that they had a right to their leisure time without being bothered, especially if I haven't got anything useful to say.

I've never been to Australia but I would imagine a beach is very, very different to a residential street which just happens to have a. Studio at the end of it. Also, it is one thing wanting to see the location (which is stunning in itself) and another just turning up to try and see an actor as they leave work.

Put it another way, people would go to a Beach to enjoy the sea, sand and sunshine anway. It is an area you would expect a lot of people to congregate. People would not go to a residential street in Suburban Hertforshire for a day out unless there was a show being filmed there. And it isn't as if they can get to see the actual sets, have their photo taken in front of the Queen Vic.

A beach is a public place in a way that a residential street is not.

Out of interest, what is the attitude to people going to the cul De sac where Neighbours is filmed?

Yes, actors do have to expect a certain amount of intrusion and interest in their lives. I'd say they do owe it to their fans to answer fan mail for instance (provided it isn't abusive obviously) but not to have to meet them, stop on their way home etc.

I'm not saying that everybody that wants to meet an actor is obsessive, just that there is an element of that which the BBC (and other Production companies) should be aware of as they have a duty of care to their employees and als owe the local residents some consideration.

But is the BBC Elstree set next to residential street/houses? I've driven through Borehamwood a number of times over the years and a number of times I can see the EE railways bridge from some where in the main High Street of Borehamwood. I got the impression that BBC Elstree was down some small road off the High Street so apart from maybe getting in the way of people in the high street, is it really putting people out trying to speak to cast members?

Borehamwood High Street is not a major High Street either. Its very much like the old High Streets seen in the 70's and hasn't changed much from On The Buses days which showed the High Street a number of times.

Palm Beach is actually an hour and a half on the bus from central Sydney and in winter is not the most pleasant of places but people still make the effort. What I was trying to say is even though this is a lovely location, it is still out of town and even in bleak midwinter it's not somewhere I would want to go but hundreds of people do, everyday. And yes, Sydney does get cold in winter!
I am Irish and I can't even begin to describe how popular h&a is there, in the last year I would say more of the cast have toured Ireland doing appearances than they have austarlia. I always find it hard explaining to english friends how Popular the show is in Ireland and if you ever see or read an interview with the cast they always mention the Irish fans but never say loiter or any such words.

That's interesting and actually I remembr H+A being made a big deal of when I visited Ireland about 20 years ago.

I do still think there is quite a big difference between a large public area like a beach where you would expect people to congregate (even in winter) and a small residential street.

My in laws live in a small. Seaside town on the South West coast. I would not and could not complain about groups of people hanging around on the seafront or Beach to watch something being filmed even in winter when most people don't flock there due to the weather because it is a public place of quite a large area. If they were just sat at the end of my front garden for hours because filming was taking pace in a private property at the the end of the road I would have an issue with it.

An organised tour is certainly different as it is a promotional event which actors have consented to take part in specifically to meet fans.

But of course that is just my perspective on it.

I have actually been to the street where Neighbours is filmed (Pin Oak Court?) but part of an organised tour. As I understand it, most of the residents there are tennants, and they have all agreed to live in a place that doubles as a TV set. That means putting up with keeping the curtains shut while filming is going on and having daily tours by tourists, but I'm sure they are paid nicely for it. They did have a problem with random people loitering around there, so they employed security to sit at the end of the street and send people on their way.

From pictures I've seen it's a residential street like a long road with many houses, you can see the Queen Vic over some ppl gardens, there a video on youtube of someone going there, there are houses either side of the entrance as well.

It is a normal street with home owners and maybe some people renting and the houses go for sale every now and again - http://www.news.com.au/finance/real-...-1226589073857

The owners are paid a fee for use of their houses on filming days. They agree to not modify the exterior without consultation - not too unusual as plenty of areas in Melbourne have heritage overlays and therefore exterior changes in those areas need planning approval first.

Pin Oak Court in Vermont South is a long way from the centre of Melbourne which probably discourages random visitors.

You see I do think that is a different situation to Elstree. Originally they will have been approached having the exteriors of their houses filmed on for possibly years (though I doubt many expected it to go on for decades) so residents there at that time agreed to it, people that have moved in since knew what they were getting into. They don't do exterior filming every day, they won't run tours there every day either. Plus they will be compensated for it financially and there is a difference between an organised tour and having people loitering at the ends of their gardens for hours on end, possibly nearly every day (especially during the school holidays) with no security monitoring the situation and them not getting any money for the inconvenience of it all.

Yes that is the impression I have got from photos as well.

If it was on some kind of industrial estate with quite a lot of unused area surrounding the entrance it'd be different but it is not. There are people's homes literally yards away from the gate and as the gate is clearly marked private property - do not enter that means people hoping for autographs, photos iiterally are standing on a residential street pavement only yards from people's front doors.

I'm thinking of branching into set protection services, it would fit nicely into our existing portfolio of election rigging, racketeering, extortion and illegal gambling. For a mere 5% of the entire revenue of the BBC they'd have no more unwanted loiterers hanging around. Or none who value their kneecaps at the very least.

Too late Dot and King Phil already have it covered.

Yes it's a residential street, I have been there only once mind, for the 25th anniversary. A few of us from WW decided to go and cheer the cast on as they went in before we went back to the hotel to watch it all together. Our group was content to just stand and wave at the actors as they went in (Jake Wood and Charlie Clements offered to stop and sign autographs). There were certainly a few nutters there though, I found out afterwards that one guy had filmed us and put it on YouTube without even asking and he took offence when I asked him to take it down.

I do seem to recall there being signs around telling you not to disrupt public property etc. I would never go back, it was just a bit of fun to get together with other forum members.

There is a video on YouTube of this couple outside Elstree, I shall try and find it,

Here we go

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4HJYq60iJCs

Love these two, they hate it so much they go and visit it and they try and get into the writers conference too

If I had a house on that street I would set up a snack truck or something

Hey Im back everyone. I went to Elstree for a third time on Tuesday 14th October so if anyone would like to see my photos just PM me or if you haven't seen any of my Elstree photos just PM me and I will show you all of them. when I have been there have been a couple of woman in their 50s and some in 20s and 30s and people in 40s as well so its just not young people who go older fans go as well.
Would you like to see my Elstree photos. The cast get asked not to stop especially in their cars but its their choice at the end of the day like Danny Dyer stops a lot in his car and Harry Reid and Ricky Norwood walked out after they finished filming so they stopped and some of the cast if they are not in a rush stop if they come out during there lunch break. From other photos I have seen Jake Wood stops sometimes and Shona stops quite a lot and Maddy stops quite a bit and Kellie Bright stops quite a bit and even Adam Woodyatt, Steve McFadden and June Brown have all stopped before. Im going back to Elstree next year in the summer hopefully on my Birthday which will be Monday 27th July but Im going to plan it probably in March and book a hotel in April. One day I would love to live in the house near where cast come in and out and then I make let a few fans sit in my front garden and make lunch for them and do hot chocolates for them. A woman who lives next door to where the cast come in and out was speaking to a few of the fans. A few of the younger fans love Sam Strike and Harry Reid and James Forde and there are some pictures of a couple of girls who have pictures hugging harry Reid and James Forde and two fans giving James Forde a kiss on each cheek. There is a sign about loitering and not taking photos that have been there for a long time but lots of the cast stop. There was a gate up but now the gate has been took down now so fans can sit or stand round the corner instead of right outside one house so its more better and when I went recently we were all quiet.

Good to see you back.

I'd leave them alone, I'd hate to be bothered going to or from work

Yes, you'd think there must be some kind of money making opportunity!