‘One more turn to the left, Del Boy’: Stately home staff hope to avoid Only Fools and Horses moment as they clean 200-year-old chandelier
It was a scene reminiscent of the famous Only Fools and Horses sketch where Del Boy and Rodney watched on as a chandelier they were supposed to be removing crashed to the floor.
But thankfully for staff at the stately Longleat House, their lowering of a 200-year-old chandelier from above the grand staircase was much more successful.
The ornate 36-bulb light fixture was lowered for its first spring clean in nearly 10 years.
There was some trepidation among the staff who couldn’t stop thinking about the comedy sketch.
Scroll down to see the video of Del Boy and Rodney’s botched efforts
Delicate: A specially adapted low-suction vacuum had to be used to clean a decade of dust off the chandelier
Painstaking: It took four hours to clean the chandelier and replace its 36 bulbs that were handmade in France
Dr Kate Harris, curator of historic collections at Longleat, said: ‘I have to admit that the classic chandelier of Only Fools and Horses was at the back of our minds during the whole cleaning operation.
‘I’m just delighted that the lowering of our chandelier was somewhat more successful than Del Boy and Rodney’s.
‘The chanedlier was last cleaned about nine years ago so it was about time it had a spruce up.
‘A specially adapted low suction vacuum cleaner was used and I dread to think how much dust was collected. It took several hours to thoroughly clean.’
The error of Granddad’s ways can be seen as Del Boy and Rodney wait for their chandelier to drop, while the staff at Longleat are a little more successful
The chandelier is suspended by a chain covered in a velvet sleeve 65ft above the staircase and was lowered to 40ft so that the spring clean could take place.
It is wrought iron and as it was lowered, two more workers held open a large dust sheet beneath it, just like Del Boy and Rodeny, in case any fragile parts fell off.
It took four hours to clean it and change all the bulbs that have to be specially made in France.
Dr Harris said: ‘Most staff didn’t want to take on the responsibility of changing the bulbs due to the fragile nature and expense for new ones.
‘One more turn to the left, Del Boy’
Disaster: Thankfully the staff at Longleat avoided an Only Fools and Horses catastrophe
‘It took quite a long time for Longleat to find someone who produced the candle lights to fit. Eventually we found someone in France who would hand make them for us.’
The spring clean took place ahead of the 16th century house’s re-opening to the public this weekend. The chandelier, covered in ornamental foliage, was hung above the grand stair case in the early 19th Century.
