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Hammersmith

Hammersmith is a district of London, located in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It is the home town of Richard Richard and Edward Elizabeth Hitler, and the setting of various fictional and non-fictional locations in Bottom. At the junction of Queen Caroline Street and Hammersmith Bridge is the Bottom Bench.

The Flat

Main Article - The Flat

The home of Richard Richard and Eddie Hitler. Located at 11 Mafeking Parade, Hammersmith, London. A two tier, two bedroom affair with a downstairs bathroom, a lounge and dining room (collectively referred to as "the drawing room") and a small kitchen situated in a conservatory. The lounge window of the flat looks down onto the street below and the kitchen looks out into an alleyway facing other flats. Generally, the flat is kept in horrendous condition, with damp and dirt stains on the walls, poorly maintained appliances and mismatched furniture. The decor reflects the era it is set in - the 1990s - however does contain various objects and items of furniture from the 1980s. 

Over the years, the flat has been invariably referred to colloquially as the snug, the sty, the pommes de terre and the maisonette. The various rooms within the flat have been renamed out of posterity where the situation warrants, with the lounge being referred to as the polo lounge, the saloon, the drawing room and, in a misinterpretation of the latter by Eddie, the "sketching and colouring-in room." The bathroom has also been referred to as the "shithole," the "dump station" and the "Kidderminster."

The flat in series three is noticeably different from the one seen in the first two series. As there was a gap of two and a half years between the second and third series, it is likely the set was destroyed after filming and subsequently rebuilt afresh following the conclusion of the hiatus. This is common in television, as studio space is often scarce and in high demand for new productions. Obvious differences are listed below:

  1. The wallpaper in the lounge/dining room/kitchen area is less grungy than before, and the "Edie is grate" grafitti is missing. If you look closely the patterned wallpaper of before is now just a grubby paint job instead.
  2. The conservatory area is slightly different, with the visible corner of the glazed area travelling about a foot into the wall, whereas before this was not the case.
  3. The view from the conservatory was previously a solid set with brickwork and a window visible, whereas for series three it is clearly a large piece of fabric with the view painted onto it. This is noticeable in Break when Richie is launched out of the window; the curtain ripples as he falls and presumably hits a crash mat below.
  4. The bathroom is of considerably lesser quality than before, and the decor is different.

The Lamb and Flag

Main Article - The Lamb and Flag  

The Lamb & Flag is a pub in Hammersmith, London. The current landlord is Mr Dick Head. It is Richie & Eddie's local and the setting for a number of their wild and depraved escapades throughout the series. In "Smells ," the duo head down to the Lamb & Flag in hope of picking up women with the assistance of some pheromone based sex spray. In "Parade," they visit the pub after receiving a sum of cash from the police for participating in an identity parade, and finally in "Dough" they head down to the pub with Spudgun and Dave Hedgehog to spend Eddie's counterfeit money, and later take part in a pub quiz. In "Carnival," the pub is inferred to be visible from the lounge window of the flat.

Neptune's Pantry

Next door to The Lamb and Flag is a fish-and-chips shop, Neptune's Pantry. It is made mention by Eddie in "Culture", when he declares that he decided to spend the money for their fish and chip supper at the pub, but later admits that he got drunk on Old Spice from a chemist sale.

Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi Cul-De-Sac

A cul-de-sac in Hammersmith just round the corner from Mafeking Parade. According to Richie, the folks who live in the street are "loaded." The street is the focus of a round of trick-or-treating for Richie and Eddie on Halloween ("Terror.") Richie's hopes that they will make a fortune however are dashed by a malfunctioning cattleprod and a limited supply of replacement Halloween tights. Spudgun lives on this street, at number 9.

Wimbledon Common

Wimbledon Common is a large open space in Wimbledon, South-East London, covering over 1,100 acres. The land is protected from being built upon by the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Act of 1871. The Common has featured in numerous works of fiction, including Dr Who, The War of the Worlds, The Wimbledon Poisoner and of course The Wombles. In "'s Out" Richie and Eddie go camping on the Common after Richie loses a bet, and forget to take any food or drink.

The Fairground

A recurring feature in the locality of Hammersmith, the fairground is visited twice by Richie and Eddie. In "Apocalypse," Richie gets a curse from a gypsy fortune teller after running into her tent to avoid a group of thugs. Later on in "Hole," the pair get stranded at the top of the ferris wheel, which is due to be demolished.

Bridlington (well, Doncaster)

The intended holiday destination for Richie and Eddie in the episode "Break." The duo purchase the holiday from travel agent "Dodgy" Bob McMayday (the most violent travel agent in the world) at an alleged discount of 75% yet still end up paying £4,000. Despite being advertised as a seaside break in Bridlington, the hotel is actually in Doncaster and the beach is an approximate 25 minute journey by car.

The Marvelloso Splendido Hotel-O

Despite the exotic grandeur and sophistication its namesake suggests, The Marvelloso is actually in Wolverhampton. When Richie and Eddie steal Cannonball Taffy O'Jones' car, they discover Taffy's honeymoon tickets in the glovebox. Although incapable of driving, Richie manages to traverse the void between Hammersmith and Wolverhampton and arrives at the hotel in time for them both to impersonate Taffy and his new wife [[[Finger]].]

The Marvelloso is a quaint but luxurious hotel not dissimilar to a certain guest house owned by a moustachioed megalomaniac in Torquay. Possessing an incredibly flirtatious barman, a well-spoken desk clerk, a Brummy housekeeping attendant and a weary waiter with a dodgy French accent, it is a world away from the dank hovel that is their flat.

The Guest House Paradiso

"The cheapest hotel in Britain," remarks Simon Pegg's character Mr Nice. Little did he know that it is also the worst. The Guest House Paradiso (in the film of the same name) is situated on the British coast in an unknown locale. Its only neighbour is a nuclear power plant which from an angle looks like an enormous cock and balls. Featuring drab decor and grungy wallpaper, it is not dissimilar to a certain Hammersmith flat. The hotel is managed by Richie, with Eddie acting as the general dogsbody. They have one chef and a waiter called Pascal. The hotel has one permanent resident in the infinitely bewildered Mrs Foxfur , whom Richie appears to be milking for advanced rent on a regular basis (and providing a gynaecology service...) Visiting guests are subject to a rigorous routine by Richie, who insists they place all valuables in the hotel safe (whether they like it or not) and to "try not to get any shit on the sheets." The hotel is the scene of a massive conspiracy involving a number of deaths after the guests became ill with radiation poisoning. Richie and Eddie were paid by the government to leave the country and never speak of the incident again.

Hooligan's Island

Main Article - Hooligan's Island

The island is the setting of the third and fourth live shows, and may also be the same island seen at the end of Guest House Paradiso. Richie and Eddie become stranded on the island after their cruise ship sank, and are forced to live off the land. Their eventual liberation from the island after many years stranded is attributed to aliens, who abduct them both and place them beyond the fourth wall.

Lily Linneker's Love Bureau

A walk-in dating agency in Hammersmith, founded by the delightful Lily Linneker. Richie and Eddie visit the bureau in "Digger" in hope of securing a date. Eddie's perfect match is calculated to be Sarah Ferguson, much to his dismay. Richie however is more fortunate and bags an evening with a wealthy aristocrat.

The Sex Shop

A backstreet porn shop in Hammersmith. In "Smells" Richie and Eddie visit the shop, albeit reluctantly, in order to buy a couple of cans of sex spray. The unnamed proprietor of the store is a very droll gentleman with a dry sense of humour and an immeasurable pride in the service he offers.

Mr Harrison's Corner Shop

Mr Harrison's newsagents is located directly underneath 11 Mafeking Parade, the home of Richie and Eddie. In "'s Up," Mr Harrison pays them £50 to look after the business for a day whilst he sorts out his mother's funeral. The shop ends up getting looted when Richie and Eddie decide to skive off and watch the cricket from the roof, and get stuck up there when the roof hatch falls shut.

Mr Rottweiller's Flat

Mr Rottweiller's Flat is situated directly next to the flat, which means he lives at either number 9 or 13. Even though Richie and Eddie's flat is a 3-storey building, Mr. Rottweiller seems to live either on the bottom of the next house over or perhaps has all 3 storeys to himself. This can be see when Richie and Eddie attempt to knock on his front door. [Gas].

Amal's Kebab Shop

A small takeaway located opposite 11 Mafeking Parade, owned by a chap called "Fatty" Amal. The orange fascia of the premises is visible from the lounge window. In "Gas," Richie rings Amal and offers to sell him the body of the gas man to use as kebab meat, but Richie is rebuked when Amal tells him his alsatian got runover recently and has plenty of meat to last the week. In "Carnival," Richie and Eddie watch Amal throw a petrol bomb at his shop during a riot. Eddie comments that earlier on in the day he had seen Amal take out an insurance policy on the shop.

Hammersmith Police Station

The station appears in "Parade" when Richie, Eddie, Spudgun and Hedgehog take part in a police identity parade in hope of making some cash. Richie immediately falls foul of Chief Inspector Grobelaar when he mistakes him for the offender and starts deriding his looks. The police station staff are not beyond taking people out the back in order to give them a good drubbing, as demonstrated when Mrs Potato also falls foul of the Inspector.

The Bookmaker's

Harry The Bastard's Pawnbrokers

A Hammersmith pawn shop owned by dodgy dealer Harry The Bastard. On Grand National Day Eddie pops down to the shop in hope of trading in an ornate carved wooden leg in exchange for cash. Unfortunately, half of Hammersmith is trying to do the same. Anyone hoping to make a pretty penny will be disappointed however as Harry's trade prices are extortionate.

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