Hue and Cry Location Image (New)

Dear John,
I'm not actually a subscriber, but, I note that subscription is automatic once a shot is submitted. I do hope the attached shot is of use. I believe it to be the location from the first opening scenes of the 1946 film Hue & Cry.

Harry Fowler reads to his fellow gang members from The Trump (comic), whilst standing on (what I believe to be) Wapping Pierhead, which is located in Wapping High Street in London's Dockland, below The Highway. At the time it was one of 3 entrances to the now (sadly) filled-in, 'London Dock' system which was built in 1805 - it was heavily damaged during WWII by Luftwaffe bombing, but still survived till the early 1980s when it was extensively levelled by the local authorities for profit.

On the original Still photo, you can make out the distinctive roof sections of Butlers Wharf beside Tower Bridge and to the right of Butlers Wharf you can just about make out the chimney from the Anchor Brewhouse (later the Courage Brewery).

On the opposite side of the entrance to the Lock where the boys stand, you can make out what appears to be a young tree, and in the newer picture it looks like the same tree (but a little older), 61 years older.

The curved entrance now has an extra foot and half brick wall surrounding it. A black metal fence stands at the back of the quayside and this same corrugated fencing can be seen in The Beatles Big Day out photoshoot in Wapping in 1968...as well as the same cranes from Butlers Wharf and the quayside blisters behind The Beatles and on the opposite side of the entrance in the Hue and Cry still. Behind the corrugated fence is a drop into the Thames where, I assume some steps once stood.

See www.arenholm.com/beatles/

Interestingly there is a bent (obviously it was hit with something big) bollard on the western edge of the entrance that can be seen in the beatles shoot, and this bent bollard is still there today, confirming the location.

I went closer to Tower Bridge to check other possible locations, but the only entrance locks on that stretch of the Thames from London Bridge to the curve in the Thames just past Wapping Pierhead would have been at Wapping Pierhead or the other entrance to the London Docks at the Hermitage Basin - however, the Hermitage Basin would have obscured Tower Bridge with a large warehouse at that time, and the angle would have been wrong if the shot was to try and include Butlers Wharf and the Bridge.

If my shot is of any use, please feel free to use it. A simple credit to Ian Dunn would be great. I am going to try and re-visit the site and take the shot from exactly where it was originally shot. It was difficult however as the site is private property and guarded by many cameras. I may try to obtain permission, though it is a shame that this site is not open to the public.

With best regards,
Ian Dunn

PS - The Reelstreets site is great. Thank you for producing such a great resource.

Ian

Great work, thanks for this, but an actor in the shot??? See our submission
requirements.

We'll blog it, did you send it in b&w or colour? It arrived b&w

John Tunstill

Yes, I was being a bit creative - and sent it in Black and white. I have colour if you would prefer.
I saw that you had the original movie still in the 'then' section of Hue and Cry, but no 'Now' shot, so I simply took the updated pic? I'm terrible for reading rules! Do I need to send the 'Then' shot too?
Sorry, I really should read the small print.

I was interested to read some history on the 'About' section of the site. I used to go the Gaumont in North Finchley myself... but that was in the 70's. It was a great old cinema. I managed to find a shot of the old Gaumont on the net - brings back good memories. I remember the words GAUMONT oustide, at the top and at the back, which used to light up red at night. I think I used to pay 2p for the 221 bus to get to Saturday morning pictures.
I was lucky to catch the end of the heyday before home video closed so many
of those lovely old cinemas.
Best regards,
Ian
PS. Sorry - what actually is a blog?

Now, there really is a blast from the past. Tally Ho corner! And to the right was an arcade where I used to buy lead soldiers, see my site www.soldierssoldiers.com, as well as Bayko building sets...............does anyone remember them, apart from my little brother Brian?

So, yes please, leave the creativity to the film directors, and let me have a colour pic

Thanks
Best wishes
John Tunstill

Hi John,

I certainly do remember the toy shop at the end of the Tally-Ho arcade, now a cheap furniture shop sadly. It was one of my favourite shops along with Michaels Models when I was a kid...however, I couldn't quite afford lead soldiers, mine were all plastic.

...............don't remember Michael's Models

There was also the fruit shop a few doors down opposite Owen Owen, and the guy who worked there has just opened a musical instrument shop where the old classical music shop was in the arcade.

.............but the record shop..............I bought Frankie Vaughn singing Green Door, my first 78!

It's changed a great deal around there - it's a little more down market.
Do you remember Williams Sports and Leather? that's gone! The Tall-Ho pub and Woolworths are also still there. The old Bus station has gone, it is in the basement of the Arts Depot that is on the site of the lovely old Gaumont - totally faceless! The old Torrington Arms which was next door to the fruit shop (the other side of Liptons) which amazingly appears in the Monty Python sketch about Hell's Grannies (Video/DVD: And Now For Something Completely Different) is now a Starbucks coffee shop!

I also remember playing with that Bayko stuff, a few pieces of which were always in my nan and grandads toybox.

Best regards and here's to happy nostalgia...
Ian

...............but, they say, it ain't what it used to be.

Ciao
John