National Trust Imposes Chandelier ‘Tax’ Following Only Fools and Horses Jokes

If you’re tasked with caring for chandeliers, a common occupational hazard is being reminded of the iconic scene from Only Fools and Horses where a chandelier meets its end in a hilarious mishap.

Conservators at the Bath Assembly Rooms, who regularly clean these historic chandeliers, have heard the jokes so many times they’ve implemented a “tax” for any visitor who brings it up or even hints at thinking about it.

In the memorable 1982 episode “A Touch of Glass”, Del Boy and Rodney are poised to catch a chandelier, only for Grandad to unscrew the wrong one, sending it crashing to the floor. The lines “One more turn Del!” and “Brace yourself Rodney, brace yourself” have become classic references.

Visitors who echo these famous lines are now encouraged to make a voluntary donation towards the chandeliers’ conservation. “We hear it all the time, so we’ve set up a tap-to-donate point where they can make a payment toward our work,” said Alana Wright, the experience and visitor manager for the assembly rooms. “We suggest that if they even think about the comedy scene, they should donate something to help look after the chandeliers.”

While the initiative is designed to be fun, it also has a serious purpose. The National Trust spends around £4,000 annually to maintain the chandeliers at the assembly rooms. Soon, these chandeliers will undergo a costly full conservation process, including rewiring.

There are ten chandeliers in the assembly rooms, all about 250 years old. Originally lit with tallow candles, they were later converted to gas lighting in the Victorian era and are now electric.

The visitor “tax” will eventually be extended to other National Trust properties, which house more than 600 chandeliers, whenever cleaning is undertaken.

The largest chandelier at the Bath Assembly Rooms is located in the Great Octagon Room. It weighs over 200kg (440lb) and stands 3 meters (10ft) tall.

During World War II, when Bath was targeted in the Nazi Baedeker raids that focused on culturally significant cities, these chandeliers were removed and hidden in a local stone quarry for safekeeping.

Unlike the Trotters’ ill-fated plan to catch the chandelier in a sheet, the National Trust employs a winch system to carefully lower their chandeliers to the floor for cleaning.

Source: The Guardian