Spotting

NOTES

This page contains bits and pieces I have collected over the years that have not been confirmed or do not fit under the banner of AVENGERLAND. I hope others will be able to make some use of them.

Patricia Pitt,
Montreal,
Canada

30^th October 2002

About the episode called "Forward Base" that happens on Toronto Islands, I can tell you that I've been on those swans only because Steed had been there too! LOL.. They're in a small closed area, so they'll all be there. Of course, Steed might have had privileges and go on any of the little canals between the islands! :o) The bridge is real near the amusement park, too. There is a map of the amusement place at http://www.centreisland.ca (site map), a pic of the swans (groups).

I haven't seen the episode in a while, but if I recall, we see the city at some point and that would be from Hanlan's Point. Here another link that might give you more hints. http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/parks/to_islands/island_index.htm.

Barry R. Clay,
Earlsdon,
Coventry

8th December 1994

"I can add the following three (locations) in case you did not already know of them: 38 Clarendon Road, Watford, Herts. Was used for some location work, the cellars and rear yard were used, it must have been ideal for some plot? I cannot tell you anymore except it was at the time the offices of a publishing company, Model Aerotautical Press Ltd.. The other locations that I know of were Bovingdon Airfield and the airfield at Blackbushe now owned by British Car Auctions. Not connected with your last request but non the less interesting were some models of Lancaster bombers used in one of the programmes, I know who built these models and a bit about them."

6th February 1995

"I apologise for not writing sooner the reason being that I wanted to do a little bit more research for you. Firstly the Clarendon Road address; as far as I know it was the rear courtyard that was used for some filming, at a rough guess to try and pinpoint the date I should say it would be the 1960's, possibly 1962-63 but this is only a guess. I hope it helps a bit anyway.

"The Lancaster (or Lancasters) models were made by a company called Radio Controlled Services, they had offices in Bedford and a chain of retail shops, one of which was in Leicester alas no longer. When the model was made for The Avengers series itappeared in kit form not long after, probably to defray the cost of production...

"...The submarine could have been made by the same company"

Alan Leventhall,
South Wooton

5th September 1994

"I though you might be interested in the following locations:

"MAN IN A SUITCASE

"The Sitting Pigeon: McGill is picked up by the police at the corner of Brompton Road and Hans Crescent near Harrods. The route taken to the police station goes over Albert Bridge. McGill drives to Laucheston Place (W.8) and Kynance Mews (S.W.7) for a meeting with Rufus Blake and Valerie.

"Day of Execution: The night-time car chase is through the Market Place at Kingston-on-ThamesThe cars travel from Bentalls Department store to the Market Place, chase each other round the Market House and then go up Thames Street.

"Variation On A Million Bucks (Part One): The telephone kisok used is at Colville Place (W.1)

"Man from the Dead: McGill follows Rachel Thyssen over Southwark Bridge to the Anchor Public House on Bankside. The wooden platform used at the Anchor has now gone.

"Dead Man's Shoes - Filmed at Fulmer

"The Bridge: McGill travells to the Bridge by going southbound over Westminster Bridge, along Lmbeth Palace Road. The next scene shows his car travelling in a park, which is probably Battersea Park, before driving northwards up Albert Bridge Road to Albert Bridge itself.

"The Whisper: McGill's enquiries at the monestery was fimed in the grounds of Pinewood Stusios.

"Blind Spot: McGill walks with Marcelle along the terrace at Pinewood Studios

"Jigsaw Man: The helicopter lands on the lawn of Pinewood Studios

"Who's Mad Now?: Jason and Joan live in a house on tje Strand on the Green, near kew bridge. Joan walks down Post Office Alley, which is also part of the Strand on the Green

"REVOLUTION (1985)

"Queen Street, King Street and College Lane in King's Lynn doubled for Pearl Street, New York in the 1770's. The Quay at King's Lynn became William Street, which featured the King George Tavern. Saturday Market Place area, King's Lynn became Wall Street, New York. King Staithe Square and Custom House, King's Lynn had much of the action filmed there. The Purfleet River, King's Lynn also fetured.

"MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT

"BBC series filmed in King's Lynn, April 1994- to be screened november 1994.

"St. Margaret's Lane, Devil's Alley off Nelson Street, King's Staithe Square and Kings Staith Lane, King's Sreet and Ackerman's yard off King's Street were turned into 9th Century settings.

"BARNACLE BILL (1957)

"Filmed at Hunstanton, Norfolk

"ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING (1942)

"King's Lynn doubled as a Dutch town.

"OUT OF AFRICA

"Partly filmed at Castle Rising village, Norfolk

"PORTERHOUSE BLUE

"Cambridge locations included St. Edwards Passage, The Mill public house in Mill Lane, The Anchor public house. Silver Street and Lloyds Bank, in Sidney Street, became the Anglia Lowlands Bank.

"GROWING RICH

"Partly filmed at Little Wlsingham, Norfolk. Also featured in one scene, Upper St. Giles Street, Norwich. I think Fenedge was filmed in Chatten's, Cambridgeshire, but I have not yet been able to estanblish this as a fact.

"GENEVIEVE (1953)

"Brighton Road was not used in the filmed but was doubled by Farnham Road. The One Pin public house is at Hedgerley, Bucks. West Drayton Station was used for the 'spend a penny', ice cream' and 'fight' scenes.

"CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

"filmed at Turville, Bucks..

"WENT THE DAY WELL (1944)

"Also filmed at Turville

"OVER THE RAINBOW

"The public house, used as the Rainbow, was St. James Tavern, Medeira Place off St. James Street.

"DAD'S ARMY

"Walmington-on-Sea was largely filmed in Thetford, Norfolk, eg. Walmington -on-Sea Town Hall was really Thetford's Guildhall. In the episode "The Royal Train", Wheybourne in Norfolk was used for the station.

"LOVEJOY

"In the first season much was filmed at Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk eg. Moyse's Hall, Athenaeum Lane, Angel Hill, Railway Station, Abbeygate Street, High Barter Street, Abbey gateway, Abbeygate Street, Churchgate Street. Later episodes were filmed at Safron Walden, Kersey, Thatted, Finchingfield, Lavenham, Long Melford, Hadleigh and Braintree. Felsham Hall is at Belchamp Walter, Essex."

Web page: http://www.longmelford.com/

Martin East,
Chesham

16th November 1993

"I would like to add a few more entries the were shot around Chesham for you.

"HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR

"The Carpathian Eagle: Pierce Bronsan running across Lowndes park to meet Suzanne Danielle. They also talked by a gate in Chantridge Lane, Chesham.

"Guardian of the Abyss: Shots of Ray Lannen (Michael Roberts) entering old Amersham from Missenden direction. Barabara Ewing is seen running from a shop at Hill Avenue, near station, Amersham.

"The House the Bled to Death: The house was on Chairborough Road, High Wycombe (West). A bloke ot work had a friend who moved into this house after they finished filming in 1980/81. He said there was mess and blood (fake) all over the walls, a real horrror house!

"THE PROFESSIONALS

"An early episode was shot at Amersham General Hospital. Possibly Operation Susie.

"DAD'S ARMY (film 1971)

"Filmed at Chalfont St. Peter which doubled as Walmington-on-Sea and Cobham in Surrey.

"THE IRON MAIDEN

"Filmed around Beaconsfield and Coles Hill near Amersham.

"THE SHOOTING PARTY

Scenes shot in Old Amersham fields and woodland. One actor was killed in a coach accident.

"HANOVER STREET

Aircraft scenes for this Harrison Ford movie filmed a Bovigdon Airfield, now a prison complex.

"PASSWORD IS COURAGE

"Dirk Bogarde strolls with Maria Perschy down the Street among Germans, Chesham

"That is all I can thin of at present. There must have been various others over the years, indeed the other week, on a field near Penn Bottom (near Amersham), a film unit had a marquee up and a security fence erected, but I have no idea what the production was."

Unknown Correspondant

"Watford

"North Watford cemetery

"Located on the A41, between the junctions with the A405 and A412, this has been the scene of several burials of the EASTENDERS cast.

"Christ Church, St. Albans Road

"Another EASTENDERS location. In addition, the main shopping centre, The Harlequin, has apparently been used.

"The High Street

"A number of early THE PROFESSIONALS episodes used the upper High Street as a background. I believe an actor was seen to be knocked down by a car at the junction of the High Street and The Parade (Killer with a Long Arm?). The main landmark is 'Kudos' night-club, but at the time it was 'Bailey's' night-club and was situated on top of the Waitrose supermarket.

"Wellstones, off Exchange Road

"Go up Exchange Road past the Church Car Park and approx. 150 yards later, a minor turn to the right, under the telephone exchange, is Wellstones. As you turn in, directly ahead is an alley way leading to the High Street. In the alley is the entrance to a first floor employment agency. In the 19801s, however, this was Copperfields restaurant and just the sort of place a member of C15 would take his girl-friend for a meal.

"Continuing along the roadway to the junction with Market Street, the area immediately before the junction, behind the shops, was used to stage a fight scene after the meal. A small car park there was an area of rough ground at the time, but I believe the action took place on the roadway.

"Although I have checked Dave Rodgers' guide to THE PROFESSIONALS, I am unable to find a match. Lewis Collins was the agent involved and the timing makes this one of the later episodes.

"Sarratt.

"The village hall

"As a former pupil of the school next door, I was already to tell you about this one, but of course you knew. Actually, I had no idea it had been used until I saw a late night repeat of THE NEW AVENGERS in the 1980's. Did you realise the interior 'shoot' was done there as well?

"Sarratt Green

"The end of the green nearest the village hall and The Cricketers' pub was used in the 1964 film MURDER AHOY. For the closing sequence, Miss Marple drives her pony and trap towards the camera and does a U-turn around the end of the green before driving off into the distance along the main road.

"The Boot public house, Sarratt Green.

"The interior of this pub was used for an 'English' episode of HART TO HART.

"Bovingdon Airfield.

"The airfield has seen some action from film units over the years. In the 1960's it was used as a base for shooting some of the aerial sequences for 'THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN'. Ground sequences of airfields were filmed elsewhere, but some special effect scenes were done there as a fake London skyline was observed at the time.

"In 1978 war broke out again as Harrison Ford arrived to film HANOVER STREET. This was the reverse of the previous filming as only the ground scenes were shot there and the aerial work done in Oxfordshire at Little Rissington. It has been suggested that local villages to the north played the part of occupied France.

"Although the airfield is now closed, visitors are positively encouraged at weekends to the regular markets, bootsales and banger racing.

"The Old High Street, Hemel Hempstead.

"The Flower Box, a florist (surprise), has recently found fame as the Pie in The Sky restaurant in the series of the same name.

"Amberley Chalk Pits Museum, Amberley, Arundel, West Sussex.

"This industrial museum, set in a chalk quarry, was featured in the James Bond film, VIEW TO A KILL. A tunnel at the site was used for the entrance to the Californian mine and the surrounding hills are clearly visible in some of the airship chase sequences. The museum has a small display of photographs, taken on the set, in the cafe.

Jo-Anne Stuart,
Hawera,
New Zealand

19th December 1999

"Here are a couple of locations I have seen in episodes of the 'MRS BRADLEY MYSTERIES':
The fishing village in 'The Worsted Viper' is Clovelly in Devon.
Dorney Court, near Oxford, is the house seen in 'Laurels are Poison'"

Wyn Roberts,
Southgate,
London

21st April 2000

"You're spot on with your guesswork regarding the Saint 'Scales of Justice' episode. The block in the picture is called Imperial Court which is in Prince Albert Rd. NW8 , at the junction of Avenue Rd. To be honest I was sure you were correct as soon as I saw the picture but I visited the place yesterday for confirmation and checked for the rectangular flower bed the bus stop and the bench which were all in the correct positions relative to the building. BTW it's about 100m along from Regent's Park Zoo, directly opposite Macclesfield Bridge which spans the canal and leads into the park.

"You'll see the very same building in THE CHAMPIONS episode To Trap A Rat which also uses a number of locations in the immediate vicinity. In this episode Jane Purcell (Kate O'Mara) is locked in a flat in Imperial Court by her father in order to do cold turkey. She is watched by all three of the Champions from a spot across the road next to the Regent's Canal. They deliberately engineer her escape so that she will lead them to her pusher. She heads off over the bridge on her way to Selfridges where Sharon follows her. Unusually for a TV shoot this all makes geographical sense.

"Jane leads Sharon to her supplier, Edwards (Michael Standing). Edwards is followed to Regent's Park Zoo where he buys drugs concealed in a pack of peanuts from a vendor outside the Snowdon Aviary. Craig follows the peanut vendor to a mews house somewhere in Bayswater and the following day he and Richard tail him to Chesterfield Motors in Reg. Pk. Rd.. Here he makes contact with Sandra who works there and our heroes follow her to the apartment block at the bottom of St. John's Wood High St. I believe this is the one next to Jeff Randall's block albeit they look identical, I will check this next time I'm in the area.

"Sandra (Edina Ronay) takes her dog for a walk in the gardens between her building and Lord's cricket ground. Here, among a curious combination of graves and children's swings, Richard pretends to steal her bag and Craig pretends to wrestle it off him in order to ingratiate himself with her. This works and she eventually leads him to Mr. Big, Walter Pelham (Guy Rolfe) who lives in a house which we are actually told is in Belgrave Square and certainly the exterior shots suggest this is true but again I'll have to check.

"The new photos you posted of 'Who Was That Man...' do suggest Primrose Hill, especially the montage (nice work BTW), but I still can't pin it down to a particular spot. The problem is I can't find a corner with open space on both sides of the road and those buff coloured walls are everywhere.

Richard Mchale

Tykes’ Water Lake - this location also features in an episode of 'the adventures of sherlock holmes' starring jeremy brett: it is either 'the problem of thor bridge' or 'the disappearance of lady frances carfax'. my money's on the former.

Think you know a spot? Need a bigger image? Email me.

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