Wombling Free

Bulgaria Coburg Womble narrates "When the world first was, even from the days of Eve and Adam, there were the Wombles. And that was the start of it. Human beings, untidy from day one. Leaving the Wombles to clean up after them. And it has continued thus, right up to . . . " In an US city, a motorcade is showered with ticker-tape.

In icy Moscow, two Russian Wombles pick up litter dropped by Muscovites. St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow.

"Never was there so much cleaning up to do for so many by so few." The 17th century Taj Mahal standing on the southern bank of the Yamuna River off Dashehara Ghat Road in Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

"And so we come to England. And to the common . . . Wimbledon Common." Actually, this is West Common in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.

Note the three-trunk tree on the right. Bingo. Sent in by Calvin Brady (SJ).

Uncle Bulgaria introduces some of the human beings that live on the common . . . Mrs. Doris Takahashi (Yasuko Nagazumi). Walpole House on West Common, Gerrards Cross, which also appears in 'Assault'.

A more substantial porch cannot conceal the curve above the main door. And the gatepost lanterns sure look similar. Another from Calvin (SJ).

Doris's husband, Japanese car company representative Arnold Takahashi (Bernard Spear), appears in his yellow Buick. The access road between Latchmoor and Walpole House.

Rather a smarter access road now. Calvin (SJ)

Typically English businessman Roland Frogmorton (David Tomlinson) sets off to work while his wife Julia Frogmorton (Frances de la Tour) and daughter Felicity 'Kim' Frogmorton (Bonnie Langford) wait at the door of their home. Latchmoor Flats and Latchmoor on West Common.

Antony Blair revisited the location.

Mr. Frogmorton walks to the station to catch the train to the city. West Common, Gerrards Cross. The windmill appears to have been built for the film.

Definitely windmill-free when Calvin wombled by. And he adds that the oak was possibly lost when the corner was rebuilt. (SJ)

That evening, Mr. Takahashi returns home from a profitable day at work to be greeted by Doris. West Common with Seaton Cottage and Devon Villas in the background.

A clear view of the background row. Calvin (SJ).

The next morning, the Postman rides past Bungo, who, like all the other Wombles, is invisible unless you believe in them. West Common in Gerrards Cross.

Building work underway on the right. (SR)

Kim crosses the common before turning when she hears Bungo's voice tell her to "pick that up" after she drops a chocolate wrapper. West Common, Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire.

The same location captured by Antony Blair 44 years later.

Dressed in his bowler hat and suit, Great Uncle Bulgaria (Jack Purvis) enters a branch office of The Times to place an announcement in the personal column.

On another day, two vans approach the common. Facing Oxford Road from West Common in Gerrards Cross with The Bull Hotel serving as the backdrop. Other views of the hotel appear in 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp', 'Mask of Dust' and 'Thriller – Kill Two Birds'.

This vehicle in Antony Blair's comparison demonstrates the passage of time.

The County Surveyor (John Junkin) and his assistant Earnest (Reg Lye) discuss the route of a new motorway across the common. West Common also appears in ‘Stop Press Girl’, ‘Made in Heaven’ and ‘One Good Turn’.

Calvin admits not quite the correct angle. (SJ)

Workmen stand ready to begin placing markers along the route of the four lane road. West Common with Seaton Cottage in the centre background.

There were no workmen to upset the Wombles when Antony Blair turned up!

Bungo (Kenny Baker) and Tomsk (Albert Wilkinson) are sent to Buckingham Palace to find a suitable place for the Wimbledon Wombles to move to. The background wall is at Pinewood Studios and can also be seen in 'The Switch' and 'The Beast in the Cellar'.

Good old Heatherden Hall, the flank west of the portico. RJ

While the two Wombles burrow their way into the Queen's garden, Her Royal Highness walks through the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Through the trees to the top right can be glimpsed Heatherden Hall at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire.

With Corgi's barking at movement in the flower bed, the Queen continues her evening stroll. More of Heatherden Hall's gardens.

Unseen by the Soldiers, the two Wombles leave after Bungo reports seeing wolves when he appeared in the garden. Heatherden Hall at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. The highly recognisable location can be seen in numerous other productions including ‘The Ghoul’, ‘That’s Your Funeral’, ‘The Iron Maiden’, ‘A Stitch in Time’, ‘The First Great Train Robbery’, 'Slayground', ‘Carry On Again, Doctor’, ‘House of Secrets’, ‘The Vulture’ and ‘The Ware Case’.

Leaving his Loch Ness Burrow, MacWomble (John Lummiss) makes the 426 mile journey to see his Wimbledon cousins. The often seen Black Park Country Park, Wexham in Buckinghamshire.

Sitting opposite Great Uncle Bulgaria, Mr. Frogmorton reads a newspaper on the train journey home. Greg Scott found the view through the window just south of South Ruislip station on the Central Line with the houses standing on Great Central Avenue in Ruislip, Greater London.

The journey to Wimbledon continues.

Great Uncle Bulgaria, Tomsk, Bungo, Orinoco (Marcus Powell) and Tobermory (Eileen Baker) clean up outside the derelict Palace cinema before entering the auditorium.

Once inside, the Wombles look around the derelict cinema. Sandy Wallace advises that interior scenes were filmed inside the Palace Theatre on Station Road, Aldershot in Hampshire. The cinema became an adult cinema in 1970 before closing prior to filming.

As they begin to tidy up, an old Fred Astaire film poster is discovered which prompts a musical song and dance number. The interior of the Palace Cinema in Aldershot recognised by Sandy Wallace. After use as a nightclub, the Grade II Listed building reopened as a wedding venue in 2015,

Having left an environmentally friendly clockwork car outside Mr. Takahashi's house, Great Uncle Bulgaria and MacWomble watch as the car company representative gets into the vehicle. West Common with Devon Villas to the top left.

Taken by Calvin (SJ).

Mr. Takahashi drives the revolutionary car into his garage . . . where he modifies it to run on petrol. Looking onto West Common from the access road running between Latchmoor and Walpole House.

After fitting hot air balloons and propellers to the ruined car, MacWomble flies back home. An aerial view of the Houses of Parliament in London SW1.

MacWomble looks down onto St. Paul's Cathedral on Ludgate Hill EC4.

The way to Scotland is going to be a long one as the flying contraption passes over Tower Bridge crossing the Thames between E1 and SE1.

The Frogmortons ask the Takahashis to dinner where the subject of Wombles is brought up before Julia admits to meeting one. Latchmoor Flats and Latchmoor on West Common in Gerrards Cross.

Some alterations are apparent in Antony Blair's view.

While his wide and daughter celebrate Great Uncle Bulgaria's birthday at home, Mr. Frogmorton gets off the train from the city. Looking east on the Down side at High Wycombe station with platform 2 on the left and bay platform 1 to the right.

Greg Scott provides this view showing that the platform has been replaced by a new one on the opposite side of the track.

Wearing his battered bowler after dropping it on the platform, Roland Frogmorton walks through the station's booking hall. Looking onto platform 2 from the booking hall at High Wycombe railway station.

Greg tells us that this structure was demolished in the late 1990s by time the ticket examiners hut had also disappeared, and continues that "To achieve this shot the film cameraman would have had to be positioned flat against the wall of the building which, no doubt, created a very narrow space for the passengers to pass between them and the ticket examiners hut."

Leaving the station, Mr. Frogmorton talks to himself. The forecourt outside High Wycombe station off Amersham Hill in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

Taken from a similar position Greg Scott provides this comparison.

With his mind thinking about Wombles, Roland denies that he's ever seen one as he walks through the streets.

Reaching the car park, Mr. Frogmorton tells himself that he's overworked.

When the sun comes out after a storm, the Children of Wimbledon Common run to help the Wombles as they clean up litter that has been blown everywhere. Looking across the pond at West Common in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.

Antony Blair returned to the scene to take this winter view.