Nuns on the Run

A security van approaches the bank that is about to be robbed, The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19.

A similar view with a completed background building and only one way traffic. (PW)

Morley (Winston Dennis) leaves the the bank after the robbery. The Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19. The building was Wimbledon Town Hall and is now a branch of Tesco.

A few changes here with a redesign of the entrance. (PW)

Brian Hope (Eric Idle) and Charlie McManus (Robbie Coltrane) talk about their future alongside the Grand Union Canal off Camley Street, London NW1.

Inaccessible in early 2014, but I was there just in time before the wall goes. SJ

Brian and Charley sit next to the Grand Union Canal off Camley Street in NW1 with the 'spire' of St Pancras station between the gas holders.

And there's the small wall on which Idle and Coltrane sit. When the temporary walkway has gone, there may be an opportunity for a clearer shot. SJ

Brian and Charley look to steal a getaway car for the next job in the car park near the Fulham Road entrance of Stamford Bridge football ground in London SW6. Other parts of the stadium can be seen in 'The Optimists of Nine Elms', 'The Arsenal Stadium Mystery' and 'Yesterday's Hero'.

I wonder whether that roof in the centre is the same as the left of the "then." SJ

The pair take a car and head towards the security guard (Fred Haggerty). Stamford Bridge football ground looking towards Fulham Road, London SW6.

There's the match of buildings on Fulham Road and Moore Park Road. I'm not sure what happened on the the left hand side though. Just to the left is the betting shop/barber's in Performance. SJ

Brian and Charley, also known as B and C, get stopped. Fulham, London SW6.

Chlesea FC has now become Chelsea Village and is big big business nowadays. But there's the stadium just visible. SJ

Abbott and Mr 'Case' Casey outline the robbery of Triad cash to Brian and Charley. Coronet Street, London N1. The location appears in 'The Crying Game', 'Their Finest' and 'Blue Ice'.

Looking east. SJ

Mr Casey (Robert Patterson) and Abbott (Robert Morgan) leave the car. Coronet Street, London N1 with buildings on Pitfield Street in the background.

And turning west with new building between Hoxton Market and Pitfield Street. The bollard's still at a jaunty angle. SJ provides the comparison and Mike P. adds that the new building is the Alexander Fleming Halls of Residence.

The Triad gang arrive at a house in suburbia. Woodstock Road, London W4.

The same location now.

Brian and Charley follow the Triad gang to Woodstock Road, London W4.

Same building, different cars . . . and a lot more of them.

The duo park up and watch. the Triad gang enter the house.

More of Woodstock Road W4.

After a member of the Triad gang threatens Brian, the pair drive away. Woodstock Road, London W4 with the District Line railway bridge on Turnham Green Terrace in the background.

Yes, this is from the same angle but the trees have taken over!

Brian meets Faith (Camille Coduri), a waitress, and escorts her home into the now demolished Culross Building on Battle Bridge Road, London NW1. 'The Missionary' and 'High Hopes' were also filmed in this area.

The angle is only an approximation as all features have been swept away.

The Triad gang approach their house. Woodstock Road W4.

The same place taken with the focal length of my camera. From the opposite direction to image notr013.

Brian keeps an eye out before the planned heist.

Woodstock Road, London W4.

Faith finds out that 'Case' Casey plans to kill Brian and Charley after the job and tries to make him listen to her as the Triad gang looks on.

A virtually unchanged section of Woodstock Road now.

Morley and Abbott hold up Triad members Ernie Wong (Ozzie Yue), Dwayne Lee (Nigel Fan), Henry Ho (David Forman) and Ronnie Chang (Gary Tang).

The same courtyard on Woodstock Road now.

Charley hands Brian a bomb which was part of the plan.

Woodstock Road W4.

B and C make their getaway with the Triad money after blowing up Abbott and Morley's car.

From a similar viewpoint now.

Abbott fires after Brian and Charley.

Woodstock Road again with Sydney House in the background.

After their car runs out of petrol, B and C take to running. Woodstock Road W4.

From a similar angle with St Michael & All Angels church to the left.

Ronnie, Henry, Dwayne and Ernie search for Casey's boys, B and C and their money.

Woodstock Road W4 again with St Michael & All Angels church in the background.

After getting shot, Faith stands on the corner of Priory Avenue and Woodstock Road in London W4.

A new window has appeared!

The rear entrance of a nearby Convent.

A side door to St.Michael & All Angels church on Priory Avenue W4.

Faith spots Brian and Charley heading for the Convent.

Priory Avenue W4.

Abbott and Morley search for B and C.

Priory Gardens W4 at the back of St Michael & All Angels church.

Brian and Charley disguised as nuns.

Priory Avenue, London W4 alongside St Michael & All Angels church.

Brian and Charley approach the entrance to the Convent. Although we're in Chiswick, Mike P. says that interior shots were filmed at the United States International University near Hatfield in Hertfordshire.

St Michael & All Angels church on Woodstock Road W4.

The pair purchase make-up, as part of their disguise, from a local pharmacy.

The shop is now a veterinary practice on South Parade, Chiswick, London W4.

Emergency crews attend the site of destruction on Woodstock Road W4.

The same place with a little less activity.

Faith gives a statement to a police officer with South Parade, Chiswick in the background.

Greenery hides the view now.

B and C at Bedford Park Corner . . . . .

. . . . . near the junction of Bath Road with Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick W4.

Faith stands at the corner of Priory Gardens on and Priory Avenue, Chiswick.

The same corner now.

The Triad catch up with Faith outside the Bath Road entrance to St Michael & All Angels church in Chiswick.

The same entrance now. Taken from almost opposite image notr032.

The Triad gang leave Faith near her home. Clarence Passage off Cheney Road NW1 with St. Pancras station visible in the centre left background. An matching shot was seen in 'The Ladykillers'.

Some things around Kings Cross haven't changed that much.

Mr Casey arrives at the rear of office units on Wood Lane, London W12. In the background, Westway runs overhead and the Central Line passes behind the Jaguar.

Greg Chapman tells us that the location for Casey Health Club near Westway was 74 Wood Lane, now known as 'Yonex House' and provides us with the best possible comparative shot, without being held liable for trespass, revealing the rear of the building. Alternatively viewed in Capture 57. (RL)

The Triad gang wait in their van. Panning from Capture 37 with an office block off Depot Road in the background, which was the location of the Unigate Dairy seen during the driving test chase in 'Otley'. Dave Buckley points out that the Dairy can also be seen in 'The Blue Lamp' Captures 165 and 168. The best possible comparative shot can be seen in the above Capture. (RL)

Brian and Charley hail a taxi and rush to find Faith.

Priory Avenue, Chiswick.

The taxi pulls up on Battlebridge Road, London NW1.

The footprint of this area has completely changed and is now lost forever. With the help of old maps, this is taken from where Battlebridge Road was looking north-west. The gasholder seen in the original's middle distance was roughly top left whereas the foreground's gasholder (one can just make it out to the orginal's right) would have run across the waterway. SJ

B and C arrive outside Faiths home. Battlebridge Road NW1.

A general pan of the area from the former Battlebridge Road. I've panned right though a left one would perhaps have been a better match. SJ

Brian and Charley enter the now demolished Culross Building on Battle Bridge Road, London NW1.

The entrance seen in the screen capture is somewhere in the kids section! With thanks to the staff at Nike Central in Pancras Square.

B and C fall from the rear of Culross Building in London NW1. Mike P. notes that the building was demolished to make way for the King's Cross redevelopment.

Taken before demolishment of the area but sadly from the west side, this shows the rear (i.e. south side of the Culross Buildings). I think the boys were playing with the downpipe near the far right. SJ

This is from the west side looking north-east showing 59- 78 the only remaining original part of the Stanley Buildings, as seen from Clarence Passage. From here one would've been able to see the rear of the Culross where the building on the right between the now named Pancras Square and King's Boulevard. SJ

Brian and Charley escape from the rear of Culross Building NW1 with St Pancras station in the left background. Closer views of St. Pancras station appear in ‘Smashing Time’, ‘The Servant’, ‘The Ladykillers’, ‘Richard III’, ‘The Fourth Protocol’, ‘McVicar’, ‘The Comedy Man’, ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘A Cry from the Streets’, ‘The Painted Smile’, ‘Voyage of the Damned’, ‘Wings of Mystery’ and ‘Simon and Laura’.

A glimpse of the St Pancras clock tower from ground level but at a decent angle. SJ

B and C sneak back into the Convent after dark.

This time in daylight, from Priory Avenue W4.

Brian and Charley run out of St Michael & All Angels church onto Woodstock Road, Chiswick.

The same doorway without Brian and Charley.

The film's car chase begins with B and C flagging down a truck at the corner of Woodstock Road and Priory Avenue, Chiswick.

The same location now.

Time to escape.

The junction of Woodstock Road with Priory Avenue, Chiswick W4.

Morley explains to Abbott that he has seen B and C dressed as nuns. Woodstock Road W4.

The same location now.

Sister Mary of the Annunciation (Lila Kaye) and Sister Superior (Janet Suzman) hurry out of the Convent to pursue Brian and Charley.

St Michael & All Angels church on Woodstock Road W4.

Morley and Abbott take up the chase.

Woodstock Road, Chiswick.

Sister Mary and Sister Superior get into their car. Woodstock Road W4.

From a similar viewpoint.

The Sisters join the chase.

Looking along Priory Avenue from Woodstock Road, Chiswick.

The car chase speeds from Burlington Lane into Sutton Court Road, Chiswick, London W4 with Chiswick station building in the centre background.

The same location now, a reverse point of view to the next image, notr054.

The chase continues . . . . .

. . . . . next to Chiswick station on Sutton Court Road, London W4.

Casey pulls away from the rear of office units on Wood Lane W12, looking towards the elevated Westway. The building in the background is the old BBC building. It was demolished less than 6 years ago and now Imperial College owns the site. Information from Mike P.

The same spot with different background buildings.

The Triad gang follow Casey onto Wood Lane, London W12. Panning from image notr055. The building in the background is the BBC's White City offices under construction and Mike P. tells us that the site opened soon after filming was completed.

The same location now with the completed White City Media Village.

B and C about to turn onto Grove Park Bridge from Sutton Court Road.

Chiswick W4.

Morley and Abbott about to encounter a lorry on Station Approach Road, Chiswick W4.

This road runs along the opposite side of the station to Sutton Court Road.

Brian and Charley arrive at Putney Hospital to find Faith. Lower Richmond Road, Putney, SW15. The building was demolished in October 2014 advised Mike P.

The old entrance was behind the glass in the corner. SJ

'Case' Casey pulls up outside Putney Hospital, Lower Richmond Road, Putney. The hospital has been disused since 1999 and was also used in 'Emergency'.

The hospital is in a sorry state now. Image from Ivor.

Mr Casey outside Putney Hospital, SW15.

This replaces my general shot from Aug '18. Because of increased growth, this is taken from in front of the old hospital/new academy looking east towards houses on Commondale. SJ

Brian, Charley and Faith make their escape in a stolen ambulance. Lower Richmond Road, Putney with All Saints Church, Putney Common visible in the background.

Peter Stanford provides us with the view now, what was an hospital is now a school (The Oasis Academy). (RL)