Whatsthisthen?

[NewcastleFalcon]

The exact position of the bike in the picture is at the junction of Elliot Drive and Scott Crescent in Roxeth as shown by the red arrow on the map:

Now that is a job well done Mick. Hadn't a clue where it was but did recognise the Brentford photo at the end of the film. Somewhere on the FCF Brentford has cropped up before. Didn't make much progress myself because my machinery has been running incredibly slowly tonight, and also kept dropping in an out of its internet connection.

Tried a bit of geographing, I reckoned someone would have phoographed the arches, but was up at Harrow when the streetview just froze for the umpteenth time. Pleased you tracked it down....are you prepared to give a post mortem on your workings out!

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Yes I can just about do that. My first thoughts were based on my belief that the factory might have been Kodak so I started in the Harrow area. I wondered if the film hadbeen made by Ealing Studios as it was government funded so I racked the old grey matter over railway arches in that general area. I could only really think of the gwr out of paddington which heads out past Harrow and I remembered some arches near a dealer I used to visit at iron bridge which is Greenford. So then I got out the AtoZ and started at the Greenford bridge and followed railway lines up and down looking for crossroads adjacent to the line. I was on the third line from South Harrow to Rayners Lane when I found the suspect. I was going to use streetfinder and grab a screenshot but to be honest my eyes were giving up the ghost so I settled for a snap of the map! Q.E.D.

[white exec]

That's what I call persistent detective work. Amazing.

The film was for COI (Central Office for Information), and shot by Pathé, 1965. By 1965, I don't think Ealing Studios were still involved with government information films (but I could be wrong). My school bordered the studios, and I was there 1959-66, and living in West Ealing.

Ealing Studios became involved with Rank and later the BBC, and the heart of the Britsh film industry was London W1. A bit further out were Denham, Shepperton, Borehamwood and Elstree Studios. Lots of filming was done in and around west London, including many Carry Ons and A Home of Your Own. BBC continued with the locale, eg the Benny Hill, Dick Emery, and Two Ronnies shows. Eventually, the BBC came to make Ealing Studios their own.

Exceptionally lucky to have so much of Ealing, Hanwell, Southall, Acton, Greenford, Northolt available on film, from wartime and the recovery decades that followed. There was bombing damage to this area of west London, but huge areas were still open and undeveloped in the '50s and early '60s. Along the A40 Western Avenue, beyond Greenford, it was open fields - except RAF Northolt - and it was on a new housing estate next to the road that A Home of Your Own was made. Can't find the complete film...



Between Elthorne Park in Hanwell, and Windmill Lane (famous for Three Bridges and the Gillette building), nothing much happened. As a kid, I remember spending hours going down Trumpers Way, over the canal, and beyond the rubbish tip into the bluebell woods, and across the Southall-Brentford goods line. It all seemed, and was, another world, so different from urban Ealing. When 17, I got my first driving lessons (from my Dad, and a crash gearbox) down and around Trumpers Way.

It was an extrordinary place in which to grow up.

[NewcastleFalcon]

That's what I call persistent detective work. Amazing.
.....

.......Between Elthorne Park in Hanwell, and Windmill Lane (famous for Three Bridges and the Gillette building), nothing much happened. As a kid, I remember spending hours going down Trumpers Way, over the canal, and beyond the rubbish tip into the bluebell woods, and across the Southall-Brentford goods line. It all seemed, and was, another world, so different from urban Ealing. When 17, I got my first driving lessons (from my Dad, and a crash gearbox) down and around Trumpers Way.

It was an extrordinary place in which to grow up.

....and a "canny few" miles away from me, but I still find it fascinating even though I have virtually zero experience of the places you talk about Chris.

...and I too am an admirer of Mick's persistent detective work. Makes our little whatsthisthens? and quizzes, just the type of thing I thrive on, a pleasure and lots of collateral information along the way as more join in with gems of information/memories as you have done there Chris.

Regards Neil

[bobins]

Considering that was a Public Information Film about safe motorcycle riding, I don't make much to the fact he drove through a zebra crossing whilst Mrs Trellis is clearly waiting to cross

Bad motorcycling - PIF

[NewcastleFalcon]

Nice forensic spot there Bobin's at least he didnt ride straight up the Zebra Crossing over the pavement and head for his morning paper at the shop ( ....or did he already have his morning paper...can't recall).

Just to prolong the whatsthisthen? I wonder where that parade of shops was, and what it looks like now (or now-ish)?

Oh, and nice appearance of a Hillman Minx Convertible in Chris' film. Series III A B or C not sure which

Regards Neil

[bobins]

The newsagent that 'Tom' goes into is now the New London News on Alexandra Avenue, Harrow.

Old newsagent - PIF

Old news - Googl'erf

Just prior to that shot in the PIF, you see 'Tom' come up past a car dealership....

Jag dealer - PIF

Blue Star Jag

[NewcastleFalcon]

Top quality wheresthisthen?-ing Bobin's. I didnt find the location in my paddling around, but did come across Blue Star Garages which were quite widespread with their Petrol Forecourts. They were quite active in the early days of motorway service stations.

https://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/Blue_Star

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Well we've been released from lockdown so I thought a decent run in the car was in order to get all the systems lubricated. So where better to go than:

Spoiler: show

Own work

Own work

Own work

Own work

Own work

Own work

It certainly has changed but you can still see all the basics!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Real life Whatsthisthen? effects, the holy grail of a "whatsthisthen?", back of the net

Cheers Mick!

Did you head back via Alexandra Avenue for a Paper and a bottle of pop

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Unfortunately no, I went in search of a few of my old haunts from when I was at college in Northwick Park. one hell of a lot of changes in that part of the world!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Springing from Mick's "Whats on at the Empire"

50pts TOH, 10pts for a researched answer

Wheresthisthen? Place name and location.

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Maastricht?

[NewcastleFalcon]

Maastricht?

TOH Mick? I've just watched it again and Mr Rieu blurts it out at the end, but that is excellent for a TOH spot, not much to go on but one of its key architectural features does appear a couple of times in the Vid. Seems like they were all having a jolly good time!

REgards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Yes TOH for Maastricht, but I had an advantage. I was asked to go to a Maastricht Andre Rieu concert with my mate Bob when his wife fell ill a week before their scheduled trip. I agreed, so he sent me the leaflet which was the same scene!! Unfortunately for me Mary, his wife, recovered on the Thursday so I obviously stepped aside and she went after all!! I've just checked the email from him and the venue was called the Vrijthof, which is basically a huge town square