Monday, January 30, 2006

Blue Lamp



John

I have now made "grabs" from the following films, each of which I will send in a separate e-mail, to avoid an ultra large file size. Watching the films and then taking the "grabs" has given me immense pleasure!

Marc

............I was doing "The Big Sleep" over the weekend, great fun as well.

During the week, I have also managed to visit some of the sites connected with "The Lavender Hill Mob" in the City - amazing just how difficult it is to locate some sites, but I managed a few;

..........well done

and "Hue and Cry" - those grabs on your site were, I thought, locations I knew well, but having been there, I am still stumped! I will have to watch the film again to get a better sense of direction.

...........this too is something that happens quite often. I too go to locations where I KNOW were the shot was taken, only to find trhat I don't KNOW at all. Is it imagination, lack of attention? I wonder how much reliance can be placed on persons, like you and me, who KNOW certain things, untill we prove ourselves wrong! Frightening.

In addition to the grabs I am sending tonight, I have also extracted from VHS onto my computer the following films which I intend to "grab" over the next few days:

Hue and Cry
I Believe in You
Press for Time
The Last Journey
The Long Arm
Wrong Arm of the Law
The Secret Partner
Up the Junction

............you are aware that at the moment we are about four months behind with all the entries that we've received, and with all these wonderful stills coming in, we'll be six months behind. Wonderful, keep 'em coming.

Now, the film grabs I am sending you, starting with "The Blue Lamp", a great favourite of mine! Sit back and enjoy Dixon of Paddington Green, and a very naughty Sir Dirk Bogarde being chased through the old White City area, now changed beyond all recognition, as has much of the Paddington Basin area, but I know where to find some "comparison" locations! I trapse up and down the Edgware Road and Harrow Road will also be good exercise for me!

Best wishes,

Marc.

My God! You have been busy. Fantastic. I've been putting off abstracting the still from Blue Lamp because there were so many of them. But aren't they splendid. Do you have A Kelly's Directory? Many of the shop names will give clues to the old locations.

Obviously Harrow Road, Ladbrook Grove, Edgware Road, Notting Hill, North Kensington and Paddington generally. Reported locations, not yet checked,
Cinema on the corner of Harrow Road and Amberley Road, Coliseum, 324 Harrow Road.
WestbourneTerrace road bridge, Grand Union canal
Lord Hills Road, W9
Metropole Cinema, 267 Edgware Road, demolished
White City dog track, now the BBC

.........and, more specifically, pics 2 and 3 are Piccadilly Circus, you see, I can do the easy ones!

I should be in London from the 4th to the 9th of March. If you are free perhaps we can do a tour together on saturday the 4th March? or the wednesday the 8th March, or both. I've arranged "Location Sleuthing" outings before, and will add this invitation to the blog ( without your first paragraph) to see if anyone else wants to join in. Wouldn't it be nice if we could finf the "greasy spoon" caff in your still, with the tea urn!

The pub, with the "Gold Flake" advert, may appear in one of the Steptoe films.
Children's Hospital? Great Ormond Street?

A really breathtaking collection, very well done, and thanks again. Hope to see you in March.
Best wishes
John