Hi There!

Just visited your website and thought that I might be able to help you out with some of the street names from ‘SPARROWS CANT SING’ movie 1963. I should start by saying that I’m originally from the east End of London; I grew up where many of these places were filmed.

I grew up in the same street as STEPHEN LEWIS who wrote Sparrows and also stared in the movie (as the caretaker). Right!

....................is Stephen Lewis the tall skinny man who was in On the Buses?

Image: Location:
1: Glass House fields, London E1 - Looking from the bottom of Glass House fields (the Highway end). The back of the Glass factory is behind the people. Glass House fields junctions CABLE Street and The Highway London E1 OLN The primary school Nicolas Gison is to the right of the shot.

.....................is there anything left to photograph?

5: Solander Gardens E1 (forgot this one)

6: Solander Gardens E1 - No longer there The street had a row of terraces, the School at the end is St Marys and Michael’s RC Primary School. Still there! As a note THIS IS MY SCHOOL! The school junctioned Commercial Road E1 and Sutton Street E1 and was also used in the film VIOLENT PLAYGROUND staring Stanley Baker (circa 1958)

15: Cannon Street Road (forgot this one) Looking North from the Highway, Cannon Street Road E1 junctions The Highway E1 and Cable Street E1 Some of these houses are still there!

17: Solander Gardens (forgot this one)Picture taken from the then waste ground at the back. The possible street from where this photo may have been taken would have been Lukin Street E1 (junctions Commercial Rd E1)

31: Stepney Green, London E1 - Metropolitan Police Section Houses in rear of shot. Arbour Square Police station is behind these blocks of flats.

25-29: Stepney Green, London E1 Shot 25 has Stephen Lewis as the caretaker.

34-37: Narrow Street E1 - The SWING BRIDGE at Limehouse and Narrow Street E1(still there but it doen’t move).

..................that's a good one, thanks

53-54: Watney Street Market E1 - I think this is Watney Street Market which junctions Cable Street and Commercial Road.

46: BELGRAVE Street E1 - Terrace Houses I’m pretty sure of this (photo taken from Salmon lane E1)

47: Solander Gardens - (correction as you see the church)in the background.

....................nice one, thankyou

48: Petticoat Lane E

49: Kossofs is right

Well I hope thats enough, I have the movie and will ask some older friends if they recall the other streets.

.....................thanks very much Tony. Can you take some pics?

Best wishes
John

Glad to be of assistance. Yeah! Stephen Lewis is the tall skinny guy, you may remember him as the awful bus inspector ‘BLAKEY’ from ON THE BUSES . . he also appears in LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE.

Left of Glass House fields is now private flats, before there were warehouses. As on the opposite side of this Street (which is the Highway) you used to have FREE TRADE WHARF (now luxury apartments). I’ve added some additional comments below, also looking at 47 It has the church in the background suggestion were looking into Solander Gardens. The railway arches are still there part of the Fenchurch Street to Southend line. Next time I visit I’ll take some photo’s.
All the best
Tony

Now this is the sort of stuff we need, wonderful