Never Let Go

A series of panning shots in the Paddington area. The location of "Meadows Garage" was in Chichester Road in W2. The Victory cafe, where the lads dance to the juke box music, was on the corner of Chichester Road and Kinnaird Street. Information from Craig.

Richard Bennett used map overlays to show the corner now, and adds, "Looking back towards the Maze hotel on Chichester Road from Meadows Garage at the corner with Chichester Place. To the left of the Hotel were a series of houses that had been damaged in a V1 raid in 1944. They were, I believe the bomb damaged houses shown in one of the unidentified captures in the Blue Lamp, so still standing in 1950 but demolished by 1960." (SJ)

Chichester Road with Chichester Place running off to the left. Located by Colin.

Replacing an off angle shot from Oct '17. RB is looking across the ex-corner of Chichester Road and Chichester Place. (SJ)

The corner of Chichester Road and Chichester Place in Maida Vale ... I actually lived in the flat above the garage used in the film. It was above Trek Tyres garage not the Maze Works (see below) which I have never heard of. The film people paid my mum £25 to erect the facade, a lot of money in those days. I remember the filming of this and The Comedy Man. My brother and nephews were in a sceen playing football as Edmund Perdum came running down the road. It was great to see the stills. Hazel Brown in Nov. 2014

Meadows Garage, corner of Chichester Road and Chichester Place by RB. (SJ)

Chichester Place in London W2.

Looking back up Chichester Place from the south end, the scene by Richard now. (SJ)

Chichester Place in London W2.

On the left of the picture, which is taken from Harrow Road looking down the street, is the Bayswater Synagogue. At the bottom of the street is the Maze Works, used as the exterior of 'Meadows Garage'. Picture and information from Colin.

The best comparison possible without anything familiar to go on. (PW)

The doors to the right belong to the former Bayswater Synagogue on Chichester Place in W2 which also makes an appearance in 'The Naked Runner', 'Innocent Meeting' and 'The Comedy Man'.

Moving slightly to the left. (PW)

Chichester Place at the corner of Chichester Street. Dave W points out that this corner is also seen in 'The Blue Lamp' ten years earlier. It's the same corner of Chichester Place and Kinnaird Street, formerly Chichester Street. (RL)

Facing north on Chichester Place W2 which also features in 'Violent Playground'. Everything in this shot has been swept away to be replaced by Westbourne Green to the north of The Westway and a realigned Harrow Road.

The view now. (PW)

This is the Southgate Arms - still extant, and located at the southern end of Southgate Road, N1. It's pretty much as it was as it is a listed building; it's retained the Barclays Ales & Stouts motif. Obviously its distinct green tiling can't be seen in the film, but see the now pics I'll send later. NB: In this shot the pub's name can be clearly seen on its upper corner lintel. For every other shot in the film they covered the sign so as (presumably) mask the location; they must have slipped up on this take. Thanks to Roger Rettig.

Peter captured the same location now - in colour!!

Southgate Arms again. Baring Street can be seen in the background. The trolleybus wires are for route 641 (previously 683 as well, but they'd ceased operation by the time the film was made) and the 641s (class H1 vehicles from Wood Green Depot) we see in the film are southbound towards the route's Moorgate terminus. Thanks to Roger Rettig.

Peter sent in this now shot adding "the Southgate Arms was one of the many pubs I used. Ideal with the 141 bus stop nearby".

The view is looking wsw along Baring Street, N1. The Southgate Arms is at the right. My now shots are taken from the east side of Southgate Road with Berger's behind me. The bus in my pic is a 141 (the replacement route for Trolleybus route 641; several 641s are seen in the film!). Roger Rettig.

Alan Wilkinson reconfirms Southgate Road adding that he watched the filming on the way home from the Sea Scouts. (SJ)

Now. Also by Roger.

The Southgate Arms in N1, also seen in 'A Place to Go'.

The same pub now. Picture from Peter.

Southgate Arms with Shepperton Street in the background. Thanks to Roger Rettig for the identification . . . .

. . . . and thanks to Peter for this comparison shot.

Todd's workplace in the film. Berger's in the film is actually the old Thomas Briggs Tentmakers premises. It can be found at the southern end of Southgate Road N1 (#2/4) and immediately opposite the Southgate Arms. It's still standing although the building is now shared by a number of businesses. Thanks again to Roger Rettig.

Peter took this image of the same location.

Thomas Briggs building - the Southgate Arms can be glimpsed at the left of these views. Thanks to Roger Rettig.

Now. This is an eastward-looking view showing Berger's on the east side of Southgate Road, and the Southgate Arms at the left. Picture by Roger Rettig.

Thomas Briggs (Berger's). Located by Roger Rettig.

The same spot by Peter.

Thomas Briggs (Berger's). Thanks to Roger Rettig.

Another comparison from Peter.

This picture is reversed in the film. Look carefully at the 'Berger's' sign at the top-left of the still - although it's blurred in your still, I can confirm that they reversed this one single 'pan' in the actual film. (I don't know why - maybe some continuity quirk?) Roger Rettig.

Peter found the same location now.

Chichester Place at the corner of Chichester Street. As Capture 8

Looking north west back up Chichester Place towards Meadows Garage, with the junction with Kinnaird Street on the right. Richard B. on the scene. (SJ)

Teresa Stokes disagrees with Sherman MacLowsky's shot sent in some years back stating that it showed Westbourne Bridge not the Ranelagh Bridge in the screen shot. She knows this, because block of flats appeared in the shot! She has done her best, given the subsequent changes, to send us a corrected NOW shot showing the correct bridge. Indeed, take my word for it, it is a much more accurate comparison. (RL)

Maybe the Kilburn end of the Edgware Road? Looks like "E E Evans" and Adrian Grepnold confirms that B.B. Evans was a small department store that closed in 1971.

Richard Lovejoy says "B B Evans circa 140's and Kilburn High Road".

The space where the building once stood. (PW)

Richard Todd crosses Southgate Road towards the Southgate Arms. Berger's/Thomas Briggs bldg and Canal Walk can be seen behind. Thanks to Roger Rettig. The location of Southgate Road is just across the canal from the old Gainsborough Studios, outside of which I secured the autograph of Betty Box. Roy Barnacle.

Now. This is a view looking east towards the Thomas Briggs building (Berger's in the film - Todd's workplace). We're at the southern end of Southgate Road, N1. Canal Walk is in the background. Picture by Roger Rettig.

Thomas Briggs again. Thanks to Roger Rettig.

Now. Roger again.

The trolleybus overhead wires were supported by traction poles. In this shot we can see London Transport's pole number 64. This verifies the location beyond doubt - Keith Farrow is the acknowledged expert on this subject and is the custodian of all LT records of these numbers. The RTW bus in this scene is on route 76 from Tottenham Garage. The view also shows the news-stand immediately outside the pub, and was probably erected for the purposes of the film's plot. Thanks to Roger Rettig.

Now. The pole is long-gone, of course. The old terraced housing in the background is gone, too, but this is the same angle, as you can see the wall of the Southgate Arms just at the left of my shot. Roger Rettig.

Outside Southgate Arms. Roger Rettig.

The background has changed in this comparison shot by Peter.

Goldhawk Rd opposite Shepherds Bush Market, this from David Neicho.

Goldhawk Rd, replacing Adrian Wild's Google shot. (RL)

A market, but which, where? Players Please doesn't help. Shepherds Bush Market perhaps, says David Neicho. "This is indeed the Goldhawk Road end entrance to the market. The stall in the bottom right of the shot is a tea/coffee stall - you can see the woman in the dark coat holding a cup. Exactly opposite the tea stall and appearing in the bottom left of shot is Fletcher's Fruit and Veg stall - still extant today and owned by the same family. I worked on this stall regularly in the 1970's. Behind the tea stall, in Goldhawk Road, two doors along is Cooke's Pie Shop (See Quadrophenia qu003)." John Henwood.

Indeed it is and Fletchers are still trading there. Cookes Pie Shop is also there but their Website would suggest their days are numbered. (RL)

Kentish Town probably. Is that a tower a turret in the now pic in the centre?

Looking south down Kentish Town Road, London NW5. One can just see the tower left of centre. Sherman, many thanks... Barry Page adds that the tower is The Assembly House pub on the corner of Leighton Road. (SJ)

Kentish Town.

Now. 20 Fortess Road, Kentish Town, London NW5. That was good sleuthing, Sherman found this site.

Kentish Town.

Now. 20 Fortess Road, Kentish Town, London NW5. That was good sleuthing, Sherman found this site.

Paddington? ... Maybe Camden Town. (SJ)

I believe this is the Y junction of the North London Railway at Leyburn Road left into Torbay Street. Roy Barnacle. In March 2018 Martin Underwood corrects the location as Leybourne Road, that together with Torbay Street were west of Camden Road Station and Kentish Town Road have now been totally absorbed into a large development. The arches are in there somewhere! (RL)

Aidan McManus took this picture, exactly where Roy said it was.

In this northward-looking view, Todd is standing on Southgate Road ( Berger's is on his left) and looking obliquely towards the Southgate Arms. Thanks to Roger Rettig.

Now. This view is a direct northward view up Southgate Road on the east pavement. The whole character of the scene has changed with the treeline and the new construction. Roger Rettig.