Hi everyone and thanks to Admin for approving my account.
A bit of a long shot to say the least, but I’m trying to identify a road from an early 70’s film. The film was shot in and around North Kensington, London but for a particular scene, the crew ventured a little further afield. The Pickfords lorry is supposed to be heading out of London towards York. Naturally, as most of the film was shot in London, I would assume that they would not have travelled too far from London for just one scene.
I wonder if anyone out there might just recognise this road from these two stills? I appreciate there is very little to go on so as I said, a long shot indeed!
Gene Hunt:
Hi everyone and thanks to Admin for approving my account.
A bit of a long shot to say the least, but I’m trying to identify a road from an early 70’s film. The film was shot in and around North Kensington, London but for a particular scene, the crew ventured a little further afield. The Pickfords lorry is supposed to be heading out of London towards York. Naturally, as most of the film was shot in London, I would assume that they would not have travelled too far from London for just one scene.
I wonder if anyone out there might just recognise this road from these two stills? I appreciate there is very little to go on so as I said, a long shot indeed!
Thanks all for your time.
Oil Drum Lane, Shepherd’s Bush judging by the horse and cart.
Hello Gene Hunt, fellow flickrite, the AA sign looks a tad too close to the carriageway and therefore could be a film prop on any route out of London, just my offering.
Oily
oiltreader:
Hello Gene Hunt, fellow flickrite, the AA sign looks a tad too close to the carriageway and therefore could be a film prop on any route out of London, just my offering.
Oily
Hi Oily - Yes, it’s my thought too that the sign was a prop. I’m convinced that they would not have ventured too far from Harrow Road / North Kensington to film this scene though as it amounts to about 5-10 seconds total.
DEANB:
Hello Gene, Out of intrest what film is that ■■?
Hi DeanB. The film is Steptoe & Son Ride Again. It was filmed in early 1972. I have managed to identify every location on the film except this one. I’m still looking into the suggestions offered above. The Great Cambridge Road A10 (as suggested by Wheel Nut 3) is a long road so it’s taking a while to look through that on Google Maps. The A414 near Hatfield (suggested by Pete Smith) also looks a good possibility.
I spent most of last night on Google Maps looking up and down the roads suggested above. So far I think I’ve managed to rule out the A414 (sadly as I thought that was going to be it) and can’t find anything that matches on the Great Cambridge Rd A10. Favourite so far is the A1 / A1M as there are sections where the road is slightly elevated to the fields either side. If anyone else has any suggestions I’d be glad to hear them.
Which studio was the film made at, Pinewood? Elstree? Ealing? Shepperton? the production company would have I guess have tried to keep travelling down to the minimum. I agree the AA sign is a red herring. This may be to the West or even south west of London so what about the A40 or A41 or ?
I was in a pub carpark on the A412 near George Green (the Slough area) one evening when Hitchcock was filming the scene in ‘Frenzy’ where Anna Massey’s naked body was thrown out of the Commer boxvan, this was very close to Pinewood studios so could this be the same road? Hitchcock stood close to me smoking his trademark cigar, he never spoke to anyone but just gave a ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ until the shot was perfect following numerous trips up and down the road by the Commer with a naked dummy chucked out each time. He then stepped back into his Rolls and everything returned to normal!
Remember back in the early 70’s, if you travelled down the A6 from St Albans past London Colney you eventually met the A1 at a T junction near South Mimms, or thats how i recall it as working out of St Albans then i would use it, it split from the North Orbital A405 and it more or less forms the current M25 between London Colney and M25/A1 jct.
So with that piece of road (i think it was a dual carriageway but it is 40 odd years ago where the hell did the time go) now long disappeared, and other roads which have long been altered, you possibly won’t find the road in the pic on any modern map.
cav551:
Which studio was the film made at, Pinewood? Elstree? Ealing? Shepperton? the production company would have I guess have tried to keep travelling down to the minimum. I agree the AA sign is a red herring. This may be to the West or even south west of London so what about the A40 or A41 or ?
Hi cav551,
It was filmed at Lee International, which I think was in North Kensington.
I agree with what many above have said in that the road has probably changed beyond recognition now, but I do have some older maps knocking about so I’ll look through those to see if any of the suggestions above match in any way. Juddian’s suggestion sounds a good possibility… I’ll post back if I come across anything…
Thanks again for your time folks. Really appreciate it.
The A414 is very very similar but I just can’t match the road shape up.
I have gone through the film frame by frame again and now have another still as the lorry approaches.
The road snakes a bit behind the lorry and as it passes there is a gentle bend to the left. There was (possibly still is) a Parking sign on the opposite side.
Also, in the middle of the last picture, there appears to be another busy road just visible (level with the horses head running along the hedge.
Also… Is that a Clearway sign just to the left of the AA sign?
That’s where they’re heading in the 2nd shot yes!
where the hell did the time go) now long disappeared, and other roads which have long been altered, you possibly won’t find the road in the pic on any modern map.
