Poor Cow

After leaving hospital, Joy Steadman (Carol White) carries her new born Boy through the streets. Aided by Peter Astaire's suggestion of Fulham Road, this is outside Burtons Tailoring at 312 North End Road in Fulham SW6.

312, on the right, is now a McDonalds. SJ

Shots of other mothers and babies are shown as Joy crosses a road. North End Road at the corner of Haldane Road. The white buildings reflected in Burtons’ window still stand.

I attempted a white building reflection in the window but not confident about either. SJ

The new mum grabs a bite to eat in a café. The café stands at 623 Fulham Road and through the window can be seen the since demolished ABC, formerly a Regal, Cinema on North End Road.

Craig Dalrymple provides this interior view of the cafe adding that the ABC cinema was demolished to be replaced by a Safeway supermarket.

Taken from just outside the window of the café, now known as Cherry on Top but in the 2008 comparison was the P. George Snack Bar. SJ

Other patrons while away their time over tea and toast. Looking out of the café onto the junction of Fulham Road and North End Road in SW6 with the George public house in the right background.

The George served its last pint in about 2010 and is now an estate agents'. SJ

Joy arrives home to the lodgings that she shares with her husband Tom. William Gallacher identifies this as Dartrey Road in Chelsea SW3 adding "The camera was on my door step and I almost tripped over it while going out to play, A photographer asked me and my mate to play on the steps and later, a publicity photo of Carol White and five kids appeared in the Daily Sketch. Me and my mate had changed places for the last shot and that’s the one they used, alas my mate got cut out of that final photo."

This is taken from Cremorne Road at the junction with Lots Road. Dartrey Road ran north-westerly from roughly the gap in the wall, now covered by Chelsea World's End estate. SJ

“When Tom was in the money the world was our oyster . . . “ Looking across homes on Harrow View in Hayes, Greater London with garages behind and Central Avenue, Manor Road and Rectory Road beyond.

54 years later, Antony Blair looked down onto the same rooftops from the 11th floor of Harding House.

“ . . . . and we chose Ruislip.” Hesa Road lies to the left while buildings on Harrow View stand to right middle with Central Avenue to the top right.

The camera moves to find a Vauxhall Viva as it travels through the estate. Wesley Road in Hayes with Hesa Road to the top.

Tom Steadman (John Bindon) gets out of the car and walks to the couple’s new home. Facing Hesa Road from Harrow View.

Looking the same way, Antony Blair captured this view.

The shot follows Tom home where he tells Joy that he’s just robbed a betting office. This is Harrow View in Hayes, Greater London with properties on Hesa Road in background.

Antony Blair returned to the location for this shot.

Leaving the high rise block where the family now live, Joy takes baby Jonny (Simon King) for a walk.

The young mother heads to meet her friend Trixie.

Driving through town, Tom is pulled over and a Policeman opens the bonnet of his car while others move towards the driver’s door. This is King Street in Hammersmith W6.

It's all very different now. SJ

In an attempt to avoid arrest Tom reverses the Jaguar. King Street, facing buildings on the north side of the road that succumbed to the Kings Mall development.

The road has been altered to restrict traffic as well. SJ

The Officers get back into their Wolseley and follow the Jaguar as it speeds around a corner. Facing west on King Street in Hammersmith W6 with the pillar box to the left standing at the corner of Angel Walk.

There's the post box in front of buildings still standing on the south side of King Street. SJ

Crashing the car, Tom and his Mate make a run for it. Leamore Street in Hammersmith.

A wider shot to show the area in which we're interested. SJ

A Policeman catches up and grabs hold of Tom. King Street at the corner of Leamore Street in Hammersmith confirmed by Steve Vukic.

The corner of Leamore Street and King Street W6. The Ashcroft Square/King's Mall development including an enormous Primark has replaced the buildings seen in the film. SJ

Moving towards the main road, Tom struggles with an Officer. The south side of King Street with more original buildings including the John Collier, now a Halifax building society, on the corner of Bridge Avenue W6. Sue Beach advises that this is the south side of King Street in W6 with original buildings visible including John Collier, now a Halifax building society, at the corner of Bridge Avenue. The street is seen in ‘Seven Green Bottles’.

The south side of King Street captured by SJ.

Two Policemen overpower Tom who gives in to be taken into custody. Looking northward along Leamore Street.

Replaced. SJ

A Detective wrestles Tom’s Mate to the ground. Leamore Street with King Street in the top background.

Looking south on Leamore Street. SJ

The crook keeps up his resistance as he’s ushered towards the police car. Identified by Simon James, this is Leamore Street which also appears in ‘Cosh Boy’.

This brings into view the terrace seen in "Cosh Boy." SJ

Holding Jonny in her arms, Joy watches from the pavement as Tom and his Mate are finally bundled into the Wolseley and driven away. Leamore Street in Hammersmith W6.

Not all that inspiring. SJ

In her backyard Aunt Emm (Queenie Watts) un-pegs washing from the clothesline whilst talking with Joy who has come to stay after losing her home.

On another day, David Fuller (Terence Stamp) walks with Joy as she pushes Jonny’s pushchair. Charleville Road, London W14.

44 & 46 Charleville Road. SJ

The two cross the road towards a parked Rolls Royce. Charleville Road in Fulham.

A parked car prevented a wider shot but this shows that the black paintwork at the column's base of no40, unique on the north side of the street, is still there. SJ

When they reach the other side of the road, Dave glances up and down the street.

Panning right to bring in 38, Charleville Road, W14. Replacing Phil's shot with his blessing from 9 years ago. SJ

Joy turns to watch as Dave breaks into the Silver Cloud. Charleville Road in Fulham W14 with North End Road in the background.

Looking towards North End Road. (PW)

The young man takes a bunch of flowers from the car’s back seat “Don't say I never give you nothing, will you?” Facing westward on Charleville Road.

Counting the porticoes from Vereker Road as well as working from the previous shots, I reckon we're about here outside nos 38 & 36 Charleville Road. If I had stood a little further back, I could've captured the still missing finials on the far right.

As the relationship between Dave and Joy develops, the two take a boat trip.

On the journey along the Thames, Dave tells Joy about his petty criminal exploits.

Carrying Jonny, Dave leads Joy through the courtyard of the tenement block where he lives. Tom Mulrenan advises that this is part of the Palatinate Estate in SE17. The view is facing north in the courtyard to the rear of Pollock Road, to the left, and Rodney Place, to the right. The area occupied by the estate was demolished and redeveloped as The Heygate Estate which in turn has since been replaced by Elephant Park. Tom adds "I lived locally as a child, sometimes playing in Pollock Road, and clearly recall the day Ken Loach and his crew invited local youngsters, including me, to appear in the film. A couple of the kids seen here were schoolmates of mine. I didn't turn up because it meant "bunking off" school!" Michael Larkin adds that he lived on the Old Kent Road side of the building when he was 5 years old . . . "and now they're building million pound apartments on the site."

The current view north. (PW)

Dave and Joy go up to the roof of the tenement. This is the roof of the tenement fronting Rodney Place, a road that still exists running south from New Kent Road to the former Deacon Street which roughly followed the line of the later Deacon Way. Maria confirms Tom's recollection "I was walking home from school and would pass Pollock Road daily. On one particular day they had just finished filming and all the children were talking about having been asked to play in the square."

A general view southwards, facing the junction of Rodney Place and Heygate Street. (PW)

Joy looks out over the courtyard below. Tom Mulrenan confirms the area where these scenes were shot and this is looking south from the roof of the Rodney Place tenement of the Palatinate Estate with the Warren Buildings on Brandon Street in the left of centre distance. The weedy waste ground to the bottom centre is the already demolished area north of Eider Street.

From ground level with the same buildings on Brandon Street to the left of centre. (PW)

Dave takes Joy and her son camping in Wales. Blaen y Glyn in Monmouthshire, likely to be alongside the River Caerfanell.

While out walking, the three come across a waterfall. The waterfall at Blaen-y-Glyn in the Brecon Beacons, since 1974 part of Powys.

When Dave is sentenced to twelve years for robbery with violence, Joy is left on her own again and moves back to Aunt Emm’s.

Aunt Emm leaves the house with young Jonny as Petal, the baker, approaches.

Carrying a loaf of bread, Petal (Ron Pember) throws buns at an upper window to wake Joy.

A Gentleman walks past the terrace where Joy and her friend Beryl are sitting with drinks. Andrew Taft explains that this is the open air part of the L'Auberge coffee bar which looked across Richmond Bridge from the southern end of Ormond Road in Richmond.

A Nando's outlet now occupies the site which is just opposite the Odeon cinema.

Beryl (Kate Williams) watches the Man pass as he wishes the pair a “Good afternoon”. The terrace of L'Auberge on Ormond Road with Hill Rise in the background, where Andrew Taft wasted many an enjoyable hour there in the 1950s and 1960s drinking innumerable cups of frothy coffee.

Antony Blair provides this comparison shot in which alterations are apparent.

The two pals discuss the men that they see walking along the street. Andrew Taft confirms that this is Looking towards the Kings Head public house from L'Auberge on Hill Rise in Richmond, Greater London.

From a similar viewpoint almost forty years later.

Joy leaves the prison after visiting Dave.

Outside the prison gate, Joy is met by a Friend whose been looking after Jonny (Stevie King). Wandsworth Prison on Heathfield Road in London SW18. Views of the prison appear in ‘The Dark Stairway’, ‘Get Santa’, 'Two Letter Alibi', ‘The Criminal’, 'Face of a Stranger', 'Dentist On the Job', ‘Dead Man's Chest', ‘Daybreak’, 'The Price of Silence', ‘Law and Disorder’, ‘There Was a Crooked Man’, ‘Calculated Risk’ and ‘The Cracksman’.

Wandsworth's main entrance now. SJ

At the seaside, Joy writes a letter to Dave while Jonny plays on the beach. Bognor Regis in Sussex with the Pier in the top distance.

By the time of filming, the pier had already lost its seaward end pavilion. Sections continued to fall off until it reached its present length in 1999. SD

Jonny holds his mum’s hand and the two go looking for the spade that he’s left on the shore. The south coast resort of Bognor Regis played host to ‘The Punch and Judy Man’ and also featured in 'The Woman in Question', ‘Summer Holiday’, ‘Shadow of Fear’ and ‘The Leather Boys’.

A quieter day on the beach at Bognor Regis. SD

The camera move to bring more of the seaward end of Bognor Regis Pier into view.

The once 1000 foot long pier is now reduced to just 350 feet. SD

Joy continues to write as Jonny unwraps a sweet. The view from The Esplanade in Bognor Regis with one of the groynes dividing the beach to the right.

The beach now slopes up to meet the promenade and most of the railings have been removed. Jonny would now be standing by the children's play area. SD

Mother and son enjoy fish and chips on the seafront as the world passes by. Facing west on the Pier at Bognor Regis in Sussex. The pier was also seen in 'Consuming Passions'.

Not much of the world passing by today. SD

Following his release from prison, Tom buys drinks during a break from furniture shopping with Joy.

Unable to stop from settling down again with Tom around, Joy asks if they should have another baby.

With Tom returning to his violent ways, Joy walks through the streets of Wandsworth. This is Plough Road at the corner of Cologne Road in SW11.

David Ainsworth provides the modern view.

The shot pans with Joy as she asks herself “Whoever heard of girls like me making it?” Looking north along Plough Road, across the railway running between Wandsworth Town and Clapham Junction with the chimneys of Fulham power station beyond those of the Garton’s works in the distance.

Plough Road now with a changed skyline beyond the railway bridge.

Joy continues her lonely walk.

Yearning for a better life, the young woman passes seemingly happy mothers in small square. Sarah W. believes this to be Surrey Lane Estate, however Beryl Hearn suggests that this is the Winstanley Estate which is supported by the structure of the buildings.

Carefree children play in a playground. Various views of the Winstanley Estate are seen in ‘The Asphyx’, ‘Sitting Target’, 'The Offence' and ‘Up the Junction'.

With depressing thoughts filling her head, Joy returns to the house that she has moved into with Tom. Aileen Reid, carrying out a survey of Battersea with English Heritage, recognised Cologne Road in SW11.

Richard Lovejoy provides this supporting shot says "I am a great supporter of English Heritage!"

Joy enters the house to find an uninterested Tom watching the television alone. Number 58 St. John's Hill Grove in Battersea SW11 identified by Roger Armstrong.

This is today's no. 58 St. John's Hill Grove on the corner with Harbut Road, where the entrance is. I'm finding it tricky to find any matches. SJ

In a panic, Joy runs from the house to look for Jonny. Roger Armstrong suspects that this view is looking north on Eltringham Street SW18 with York Road crossing the background. The window arches with flower incised bricks are distinctive but many of the remaining properties on the street have either been demolished or have had a serious makeover since filming took place.

Waste ground and half demolished buildings are searched.

The young boy is found in a derelict building.