Weekend with Lulu, A

Friday evening sees employees leave work for the weekend.

The Security Guard watches as one employee walks from the offices carrying a weekend bag.

The shady looking character walks away from the building.

After checking his watch, the man begins to wait next to a phone box. Dave Symes identifies this as Feltham Hill Road at the junction with Park Road in Ashford, Middlesex.

John Hicks paid a visit to the corner where redevelopment has taken place during the intervening years.

Another man drives a Bedford CA van towards the rendezvous point. Feltham Hill Road in Ashford located by Dave Symes.

The ice cream delivery van approaches the phone box. Dave Symes explains that the Bedford CA van is approaching the corner of Feltham Hill Road and Park Road in Ashford, Middlesex.

The same corner taken from the middle of the road by John Hicks.

The two men drive away to a padlocked yard.

Having collected Lulu the caravan from the yard, Timothy Gray (Leslie Phillips) waves at his girlfriend Deirdre through the window of the salon where she works. Sandra King advises that this view is opposite that seen in the next capture and shows the telephone exchange on New Zealand Avenue in the background. The street appears in several other productions including 'The Price of Silence', 'The Sound Barrier', 'The Third Alibi' and 'Rag Doll', 'Mother Riley Meets the Vampire', 'The Naked Truth', 'The Smashing Bird I Used to Know', 'Something In The City' and 'Bond of Fear'.

Timothy and his mate Fred Scrutton (Bob Monkhouse) climb into the ice cream delivery van with Deirdre . . . . and her mother. Just along from the ABC cinema on New Zealand Avenue in Walton on Thames, Surrey.

Now replaced with this. Taken on the ReelStreets summer tour 2024. (SR)

The four set off for a weekend at the coast. Great West Road, approaching the junction with Vicarage Farm Road, Hounslow from the east. (RL)

Antony Blair took this view facing 726 Great West Road, between Wood Lane and Ridgeway Road.

As the journey progresses, Mrs. Bell keeps an eye on Tim while he shows Deirdre the switch for the vans chimes. Great West Road, Hounslow at the junction with Vicarage Farm Road. (RL)

Antony Blair provides this view of the A4 Great West Road heading out of London.

Fred steers away from the main road after hearing on the radio about weekend traffic jams.

Looking east on the A4 at the junction with Gresham Road. An up to date image from Antony Blair.

After taking a more than short cut in the dark, the van, Lulu and the four vacationists end up on board a freight train.

Realising that they are on a train, the four look out from Lulu as the train passes the film's Chateuron sur Bois signalbox. Peter Brown sees the "box" as rather more English than French and identifies it as the Woolmer block post on the old favourite Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire. (RL)

More French scenes are passed as the radio reaffirms that they are no longer in Britain.

It's not long before the train eventually arrives at a marshalling yard. Gregor Baddley points out that this isn't France but Toton Marshalling Yard between Derby and Nottingham adding that "These days the yard is mostly disused but will soon to be the site of the East Midlands HS2 rail station."

The wagon with Lulu on board is shunted into a siding. Ray Bentley advises that Feltham Station footbridge can be seen in this capture, slightly right of centre below the white cloud. Ray continues to say that "I watched filming at Feltham station and met Bob Monkhouse outside the pub next to the railway crossing when he came out after lunch. Quite a few people were waiting for autographs and he said "Who wants to be last?" with one boy saying "me", so he signed his first. Bob talked to us all for five mins before moving on." (RL)

Railway staff remove the caravan from the train. Do Ray Bentley's great memories help us with some of the locations? Well, he is sure the scenes they were shooting were taking place in the marshalling yards near Feltham station, which were, he believes, the largest in the country at that time, no longer there now. He tells us that he used to play there with other kids, not the safest place to play, and the yard can be clearly be seen in this sequence. (RL)

The van is driven from the wagon as the four discuss their predicament.

While the Station Master alerts the police, Fred drives from the marshalling yard causing a cyclist to swerve.

The camera pans to follow the ice cream van as it disappears from view.

More wrong side of the road comedy as a lorry approaches.

Having dodged the huge truck, Fred drives away to find a petrol station. This, Ray says, was shot on the North Feltham Trading Estate, down what is now called Dellbow Road, just off Central Way. Fyffes bananas were on the left just around the corner where they are turning. (RL)

Well into their journey through France, Fred watches a milk tanker drive away after mistaking it for a petrol tanker. Adam Jezard provides this capture of the sequence filmed on Chobham Common in Surrey. The common can be seen in many productions including 'Castle in the Air', 'Carry On Cowboy', ‘Only When I Larf’, 'Two Way Stretch', 'The Break' as well as 'Fury at Smuggler's Bay' and Adam tells us that the the hill in the background also features in 'Don't Panic Chaps'.

Adam provides this view of the common now.

Moving on, the hapless foursome end up following a Rolls-Royce. Nicholas Haddon identifies this as Mill Lane running between Cheapside and Blacknest to the east of Ascot in Berkshire with the Lodge at the entrance to Buckhurst Park on the right.

Just as Fred has difficulty overtaking, the Silver Ghost turns into a driveway. Facing the Lodge at the entrance to Buckhurst Park located by Nicholas Haddon.

A lot more greenery around these days. (SR)

The camera stays with the Rolls as it passes through the gateway. The gates at the end of the driveway leading to Buckhurst Park in Berkshire recognised by Nicholas Haddon, who once lived close by.

The gates are still there. (SR)

Followed through the gates by the ice cream van, the limousine draws up outside a huge house. Frances Munro advises that this is the Welsh Girls' School in Ashford, Middlesex.

John Hicks took a closer view to avoid the building being obscured by trees.

When the van is brought to a stand outside the house, Mrs. Florence Bell (Irene Handl) meets the owner, the Comte de Champs Clair (Alfred Marks). The Welsh Girls' School on Church Road in Ashford located by Frances Munro.

The school now captured by John Hicks.

While the women are shown the house by the Comte, Fred takes the van and Lulu to the rear of the premises.

The Comte brings Deirdre (Shirley Eaton) and her mother to the stables.

While the others are taken to the wine cellars, Tim syphons petrol from the Rolls.

The police arrive at the Comte's home. The Welsh Girls' School recognised by Frances Munro, which was originally co-educational but from 1882 began to admit only girls.

Looking a lot cleaner in John Hicks' comparison with the ivy removed.

As Tim goes to find Deirdre inside, Fred and Mrs. Bell prepare to make their escape.

Agent de police Chiron (Graham Stark) watches as Lulu is towed past the front of the house. The Welsh Girls' School on Church Road in Ashford, Middlesex found by Frances Munro.

John Hicks took this shot of the scene now.

After Inspector Larue and the Comte have departed in pursuit of Lulu, Chiron runs from the rear of the house. Frances Munro advises that this is The Welsh Girls' School. The school was renamed to St. David's School in 1967 but closed in 2009 and is now St. James Senior Boys' School.

The same corner of the Welsh Girls' School by John Hicks,

The Tour de France passes through a nearby town. This looks like stock footage of the actual race.

More stock footage as the cyclists head through the countryside.

Once more escaping from the police, Fred drives under a low railway bridge with disastrous results. M. Brucey advises that this is the lane leading to Denbies Wine Estate, a vineyard off London Road to the north of Dorking in Surrey.

M. Brucey provides this shot of the bridge now adding "The chalky geology of the area is similar to that of the Champagne region, so its quite fitting that this place was used as a location posing as ‘somewhere in France’".

A Fiat heads towards the bridge, followed by Inspector Larue and then the cyclists of the Tour de France.

With the rooftop 'wafer' display now falling from the roof of the Bedford, Fred looks for a safe place to hide.

Fred steers into a farm yard.

Having removed the 'wafer' from the van's roof, Fred, Tim, Deirdre and her mother finally makes it to the airfield. This is Lydd Airport on the south coast of Kent.

The camera follows the van as it heads towards an air freighter.

Once aboard, the plane heads for England.

After landing, the freighter is directed onto the apron. Lydd Airport was also seen in 'That Riviera Touch', 'Hysteria' and 'The Birthday Present'.

Fred drives Tim, Deirdre and Flo towards the customs hall. As the sign says, Lydd Ferryfield Airport near Lydd in Kent.