East Is East

A parade proceeds along Monmouth Street. All of the scenes through out the film that are set around the Khan household streets were filmed in Openshaw, an area of Manchester, England, about three miles east of the city centre. All of the houses have been demolished since filming. Toxteth St processing into Bowness St (NW)

Equivalent view up Toxteth St after re-development. NW

The family set off on a day trip to Bradford. With all these houses having been demolished since filming, the area where filming took place are now the location of new streets Silverdale Street and Gransmoor Road in a new development of housing which sits on the site in Openshaw, Manchester. The new housing did not follow the same road layout as the old buildings, which makes modern location matching a challenge. Bowness St (this section of Bowness Street was obliterated by re-development in the 2010s). (NW)

This is at the dam of Howden Reservoir. The western half of the reservoir lies in Derbyshire and the eastern half is in South Yorkshire (the county border runs through the middle of the reservoir). A character in the film mentions correctly that scenes for the 1955 Dambusters film was filmed there. This location in actually south of the direction between Manchester and Bradford that the family are travelling in (but that's movie magic for you!).

The reservoir wasn't so full today. NW

This location isn't really looking at Bradford in the background. This is actually a bend of the A57 Snake Road pass that is looking towards the town of Glossop. The 'Bradistan' sign is obviously just made for the production. In real life this road is heading back towards Manchester. Also this location is only 4.4 miles from the Bleaklow Bomber Superfortress 'Over Exposed' memorial crash site.

Early one June morning. NW

George (Om Puri) admires the extra shopping choices in Bradford . . . but this was in fact filmed 192 miles (308km) away in London! This is the corner of Abbotts Road and Uxbridge Road, Southall UB1 1HT.

Antony Blair captured the view looking west on Southall Broadway.

After the families meet to discuss marriage . . . . Antony Blair advises that this is Abbott's Road in Southall, Greater London.

Antony points out out same Edwardian architecture in the stonework around the doorway and windows.

. . . . they then take a trip to the cinema. This was shot on the corner of Old Street and Delamere Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7RS. The cinema opened in 1920 as the Majestic, built in what was at the time a modern Art Deco style. Several name changes later followed until it was known as the Metro from 1981 until it closed as a cinema in 2003.

There is talk of it re-opening as a Cinema at some point. NW

Some of the kids decide to escape the domestic situation and go to see Nazir (Ian Aspinall) in the city. They stand at a currently unidentified bus stop. The sign is the old style of Manchester City Transport, but it might be a retro prop made for the film; in fact website visitor Steve Randall has correctly identified this location as being on the Cornhill side of the Royal Exchange, London, EC3V 3LR. This means the old style bus sign was indeed a movie prop! The location also appears in 'Bridget Jones's Diary'.

Now. SJ

Abdul (Raji James) visits a local pub. This was The Britannia public house that was located at 185 Bow Common Lane, Bow, London E3 4HH. The pub closed on New Years Day 2010 and Tris advises that it was demolished around 2014.

The curve with The Brit above the doorway has been given a mild architectural nod as we look on The Britannia's replacement. The hoarding covers the side seen in the original, which can be viewed in pre-2012 versions of Streetview. This is looking west, close to Burdett Road. SJ