Once a joke, places named after the South African leader have become ubiquitous – but they reflect sadly on British housing
In the 1980s when the British government regarded the ANC as a terrorist movement the idea of memorialising Nelson Mandela in the UK was something of a joke.
The scriptwriter of the sitcom Only Fools and Horses chose the name Nelson Mandela House as Del Boy’s tower block address. At the time it was a topical dig at the hero worship of the left rather than a realistic name. The implication was that only a fool at a loony left inner London council would choose to name a tower block after such revolutionary firebrand.
In the 1980s when the British government regarded the ANC as a terrorist movement the idea of memorialising Nelson Mandela in the UK was something of a joke.
The scriptwriter of the sitcom Only Fools and Horses chose the name Nelson Mandela House as Del Boy’s tower block address. At the time it was a topical dig at the hero worship of the left rather than a realistic name. The implication was that only a fool at a loony left inner London council would choose to name a tower block after such revolutionary firebrand.
No comments:
Post a Comment