After spending most of the last three weeks in big cities, it is rather nice to be in the quiet suburban town of Borehamwood, located to the north of London. This morning I took a pleasant stroll from my hotel down the main street through the downtown area of Borehamwood. Unlike so many dying downtown districts in the United States, the center of Borehamwood appears to be very much alive with a wide variety of small shops, restaurants and businesses.
Just down the street from my hotel are the Elstree Studios, which for 100 years have been the center of film making in Britain.
Borehamwood was, and, to a certain extent, still is, the Hollywood of Britain. At one time, MGM filmed movies at Elstree Studios. American movie stars such as Errol Flynn and Bette Davis worked here, and numerous British actors who became well known in the United States, such as Charles Laughton, got their start here. Plaques along the main street commemorate British stars who were associated with the Elstree Studios.
Today Elstree Studios are used primarily for the filming of television shows, but technical and computer work for major motion pictures is still done here too.
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