Afraid of the Dark

Looking out from his bedroom window, Lucas watches a pair of Grave Diggers at work. Brompton Cemetery in SW10.

Taken by the east wall inside the Brompton Cemetery: one of the crosses is ivy-clad, the other broken off. The original shot must have been taken from a crane in the Ifield Road playground, SW5. SJ

After breakfast, Lucas Hardy (Ben Keyworth) stands at the front door as his father Frank (James Fox) is collected by an unmarked police car. Ray and Ron Glenister tell us that young Lucas is looking out upon 57 and 55 Avonmore Road, London W14. (RL)

... and the black doors on the right are 53 and 51, the latter bearing a blue plaque to Sir Edward Elgar. SJ

The young lad eats a slice of toast as the car drives the Chief Superintendent away. Proceeding, Ray and Ron say, along Avonmore Road, in a south easterly direction, towards Matheson Road. (RL)

A lot of car clutter. SJ

Lucas accompanies his blind mother Miriam (Fanny Ardant) to the clinic where she teaches a knitting class. Despite what the sign says, this is the corner of Moorhouse Road and Artesian Road W2.

The view towards the corner of Moorhouse Road from the junction with Artesian Road by Tris.

Miriam is led into the building by her son. The south entrance to St. Mary of the Angels church on Artesian Road in Westbourne Green.

Including an unavoidable parked car, Tris provides an up to date shot of the entrance from Artesian Road.

A Window Cleaner (Struan Rodger) peers through into the classroom where a group of blind people sit knitting and weaving. The view through the window above the south entrance to St. Mary of the Angels with the corner of Artesian Road and Needham Road to the left of centre and in the right distance a building at the corner of Needham Road and Westbourne Grove W11.

Lucas escorts Rose (Clare Holman) from the clinic. Artesian Road W2 at the junction with Needham Road W11.

Taken by Tris from a similar position.

Stopping off on the way to meet her fiancé Jim, Rose takes Lucas into a shop where ice creams are bought from the Newsagent (Niven Boyd). Looking out onto Needham Road.

Coming out of the shop, Lucas leads Rose to Tony Dalton's photographic studio. Facing north on Needham Road with the post box at the corner of Artesian Road.

Today's view north along Needham Road towards Artesian Road by Tris.

While Rose waits inside the studio for Jim, Lucas leaves.

Denis Hoare provides the location: Belsize Road NW6 opposite the Priory Tavern pub and supports with this Google Earth View. Belsize Road, he reminds us was also seen in 'Ooh, You Are Awful'. (RL)

Lucas turns a corner, looking back before going to the rear of the studio to peer in through a broken window. Denis advises that this is the other side of the zebra crossing seen in Capture 10. (RL)

Mick Mowatt shows us that the window woodwork has rotted still further. (RL)

When Jim arrives, Lucas leaves the studio and begins to follow Lucy Trent (Susan Wooldridge) from the clinic. The corner of Vereker Road and Perham Road in W14.

Looking east. SJ

Lucy stops momentarily when she senses someone following her. Facing east on Perham Road with the corner of Vereker Road to the left.

Looking west. SJ

Lucas watches the woman enter the building where she lives. Looking east on Perham Road with the corner of Challoner Street ahead.

The same corner today. SJ

An ambulance carries Lucy away after Lucas enters her flat and attacks her with a razor. The corner of Perham Road and Challoner Street in West Kensington.

The wooden fencing has extended. SJ

From the other end of the road, Lucas looks towards the house where Lucy's lives as a police car departs. Looking along Perham Road W14.

More cars. SJ

When the Window Cleaner cycles past him in the street, Lucas runs to follow. Facing north-east on Old Brompton Road in SW5.

Only the brickwork to the right has been repaired. SJ

The Window Cleaner stops and turns as Lucas is knocked down by a Boy running along the pavement. Outside the North Lodge of Brompton Cemetery on Old Brompton Road in Earl’s Court. The location is used in 'Johnny English' while inside the cemetery features in 'Eastern Promises', 'Under Suspicion', 'Melody' and 'Goldeneye'.

The winter's afternoon sun is now very low and this is highly replaceable. SJ

Picking himself up, Lucas watches as the Window Cleaner continues on his way. Looking across Old Brompton Road to the corner of Kramer Mews.

The Dead End sign is out of shot on the other side of Kramer Mews now. SJ

Carrying bags containing his photography equipment, Tony Dalton (Paul McGann) walks towards a nearby cemetery. North Lodge on Old Brompton Road.

A little bit into the sun. SJ

As Tony takes pictures, Lucas watches from the cemetery's colonnade. The Colonnade of the Great Circle in Brompton Cemetery off Fulham Road, Kensington SW10.

The bench is less ornate: this is the north-west quaadrant. SJ

A Nanny pushes a pram through the cemetery.

And now suddenly we're in Kensal Green Cemetery, W10. The Mary Gibson Monument with the four angels is on Centre Avenue and also seen in "Three Steps to Heaven", but of course I forgot to turn around to snap shots from "Secret Ceremony." SJ

Lucas heads for a mausoleum before a dog that he knows appears.

A similar now and then appear in London Movie Guide, but under the wrong postcode of NW10 as this is just in the W10 zone. This is Patrick O'Brien's temple-tomb, now with a new roof. SJ

Closing his eyes and talking to Toby as if he were a guide dog, Lucas walks through the gravestones towards "the tunnel". Kensal Green Cemetery on Harrow Road in Kensal Green W10 as seen in 'The Lady in the Van', 'Steptoe and Son Ride Again' and 'Look Back in Anger'.

Not all that easy to find though the gasometer helped. This is south of the chapel, and quite close to a "Lady in the Van" shot. SJ

Climbing over a wall, Lucas scrambles down a steep railway embankment before entering a tunnel. Glyn Horton advises that this is Wansford tunnel on the Nene Valley Railway in Cambridgeshire. (RL)

At a nearby station, the tapping of a stick is heard. West Brompton station on the District Line between Earl’s Court and Fulham Broadway with the West London Line pasing through to the top right.

Only a little less deserted. SJ

Followed by an unknown Man, Meg (Sheila Burrell) walks down the footbridge steps onto the platform. West Brompton station on Old Brompton Road SW5.

A smarter paint job. SJ

Lucas looks back as he walks deeper into the tunnel. Glyn advises that this is also Wansford tunnel on the Nene Valley Railway. (RL)

Meg taps her white cane as she makes her way along the platform. Platform 2 at West Brompton station.

The underpart of the stairs has been bricked in. SJ

A train enters the tunnel. Another view of the Wansford tunnel on the Nene Valley Railway says Glyn. (RL)

Lucas flees from the tunnel as the train hides Meg's screams while passing through the station. Glyn believes that this could also be the Wansford tunnel on the Nene Valley railway. (RL)

Children play on an abandoned car.

After being told by a Little Girl that a woman covered in blood was crying at the underground station, Lucas runs from the scene.

Lucas continues to run as he reaches familiar roads near the clinic.

Outside the clinic Lucas scares Rose when he collides with her. Looking north along Needham Road W11 towards Atresian Road W2. St. Mary of The Angels church in the background can also be seen in 'West 11' and 'Adventures of a Taxi Driver'.

Looking north along Needham Road towards Artesian Road by Tris.

As the two walk together, Lucas wonders why the newsagent is closed. The premises stand on Needham Road between the corner of Pentagram Yard and the Cock & Bottle public house.

Parked vehicles mar Tris's shot of the same frontage.

Rose says that the shop shouldn't be closed. Needham Road, opposite the Cock & Bottle.

More parked cars in this shot of shops along Needham Road from Tris.

A little further along the road, the Newsagent appears walking towards his shop. Facing south on Needham Road with Westbourne Grove in the background.

Tris captures the scene along Needham Road looking towards Westbourne Grove.

As dusk falls, Lucas runs along a street. Perham Road with the corner of Challoner Street to the right.

This replaces my sun glare shot from Feb 2019. SJ

The sequence sees the boy turn a corner to reach home. Whilst in the area Ray and Ron identify the corner of Matheson Road and Avonmore Road in W14 for us, looking NW. (RL)

No great changes though this section of Avonmore Road in now one way. SJ

Climbing through his bedroom window that night, Lucas retraces his steps in reverse and returns to the broken window at the rear of Tony's studio.

Now wearing his glasses, Lucas and his father Mr. Hardy the florist stand by as his pregnant Mother helps his step-sister Rose into her wedding car. According to Ron and Ray the wedding car was asked to collect from 48 Avonmore Road. (RL)

Looking north. SJ

The Rolls-Royce carries Rose and her family to church. Blythe Road W14 with Blythe House to the right and the roof of Olympia in the distance. The location was seen in ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’.

Olympia's roof appears less looming. SJ

After the ceremony, Tony and Rose pose for pictures. In front of the west entrance to St. Mary of the Angels church on Moorhouse Road in W2.

This shot from Tris shows changes to the entrance.

Tom Miller (David Thewlis) stands behind the camera that Tony has set to take the shot. On Moorhouse Road opposite the west entrance to St. Mary of the Angels church.

The houses line the west side of Moorhouse Road. Picture by Tris.

Another one for the album. Outside west entrance to St. Mary of the Angels church in Westbourne Green.

Less people around when Tris arrived.

After his glasses get broken, Lucas leaves the hall where the wedding reception is being held. The south entrance to St. Mary of the Angels church on Artesian Road W2.

Tris captured this view of the entrance from Artesian Road.

Lucas walks toward the opticians shop. The junction of Artesian Road and Needham Road with the Cock & Bottle public house to the right.

The Cock & Bottle is still going strong in this view by Tris, who lives not a million miles from the scene.

Guests assemble on the pavement as the happy couple prepare to leave the reception. Facing the south entrance to St. Mary of the Angels church from Needham Road.

The entrance from Needham Road by Tris.

Collecting new glasses from the optician, Lucas watches the Austin A40 carry his step-sister and her husband off on their honeymoon. Needham Road with Westbourne Grove in the right background.

Tris provides this view south along Needham Road towards Westbourne Grove.

Making his way home, Lucas sees a Neighbour (Cassie Stuart) leave home with her new baby.

Perham Road looking west and this replaces my very off-angle shot from Feb 2019 with a slight improvement. SJ

Lucas steps nervously backward from the pavement to let the pram pass.

Counting the columns from the previous shot, I think Lucas is standing at no10 on the north side of Perham Road. SJ

The young lad reaches home where the Window Cleaner cheerily calls down to him. The boy is standing at the door of No 48 Avonmore Road Ron and Ray identify. (RL)

All balconies clear now. SJ

After buying an ice cream, Lucas heads home and waits for his Father to return from hospital where his Mother has given birth to a baby girl. Before leaving the area Ray and Ron identify the corner of Stonor and Avonmore Road, London W14 looking north west. (RL)

The junction today. SJ