Coast to Coast

A “Magical Mystery Tour” coach approaches the camera. Strand Street in Liverpool, Merseyside.

The shot moves with the themed Bedford VAL as it passes. Strand Street L1. The Buses on Screen website believes this to be the Plaxton Panorama bodied coach, registration URO 913 E, that appears in ‘Magical Mystery Tour’.

As the coach drives onward on it's trip down memory lane, the pan continues left to find Pier Head where the Port of Liverpool Building, the Cunard Building, Georges Dock Building and ventilation tower and the Royal Liver Building stand together. Unfortunately, the view is now obscured by unsympathetic development.

The Tour Guide announces the coach’s arrival at Beatle City. Standing on Seel Street at the corner of David Lewis Street in Liverpool 1, Beatle City was open between April 1984 and April 1986 when the exhibition moved to a new site near the Mersey.

Alighting from the coach and walking away from the attraction, John Carloff (John Shae) explains to the Tour Guide (Maggie Ollerenshaw) that he's seen enough. If continuity is correct, this is facing north-west at the junction of Seel Street and David Lewis Street.

The sound of heavy plant accompanies John as he makes his way along his own memory lane.

Looking through a remembered archway, the deserter from the US army sees destruction in progress at the site of the Sink Club from his youth. This a set constructed either at the studio or alongside an actual demolition site.

Answering a newspaper advertisement, John heads to a café where he finds Ritchie Lee (Lenny Henry) who's looking for a partner for his mobile soul disco.

Combining the American's original 1960s record collection with the Liverpudlian's disco equipment, Ritchie and John clean the van that's been obtained from the DJ's mate Kecks McGuinness.

Repairs and rebranding take place and the van becomes the transport for the R&B 60's Roadshow.

The pair set out from Ritchie's flat for their first booking. Gambier Terrace off Hope Street in Liverpool 1.

Records are loaded into the van for the gig . . . which turns out to be at an old people's home. Gambier Terrace stands opposite Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral.

Bells chime out on the following morning. Liverpool Cathedral seen from across St. James Gardens and Hope Street through the window of a property on Gambier Terrace.

Ritchie returns after placing cards in record shops and looks out onto the street where he sees two Men leave a broken down car. Looking down onto Hope Street and St. James Gardens in Liverpool 1.

After discovering that the two both went to the Sink Club all those years ago, Ritchie and John head for their next engagement.

The R&B mobile disco nears the wedding reception being held in a Kirby pub. Park Brow Drive, Liverpool L32

The camera tracks the van along Park Brow Drive in Kirkby

Arriving at the venue, the pair set up their equipment to entertain the reception guests . . . before a fight breaks out during the show. The Park Brow public house on Park Brow Drive in Kirkby L32

When their van breaks down, Ritchie and John head to Liverpool city centre to wait for the arrival of Kecks. On the right stretches the train shed of Lime Street station with Lime Street to the bottom left.

The hands on Lime Street station's clock move to five past 11.

Lionel and Cynthia Sear found themselves at Lime Street station with sufficient time to capture this comparative shot for us. It certainly appears to be a replacement timepiece and not overlooking Platform 9 as they were expecting, but 50 metres away looking down on the shopping concourse. (RL)

A train arrives, bringing buffet car attendant Kecks Mc Guinness home at the end of his shift. Platforms 8 and 9 at Lime Street station in Liverpool L1.

Shortly after taking this picture Lionel and Cynthia left from this very platform in some style, continuing their steam excursion en route to Swansea! (RL)

After a refund for the van is deemed out of the question by Kecks, free repairs by his brother are accepted before Ritchie and John set out to earn a tenner each the following evening. Love Lane in Liverpool L3.

Agreeing to do a favour for Kecks, the pair drive to the dodgy character's premises. The railway arches are beneath the abandoned viaduct that once carried the line north from Liverpool's Exchange station.

Ritchie and John arrive outside Kecks' lock up. Love Lane in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool.

A little later, outside the building where Kecks lives. Gerrard Gardens at the corner of Christian Street and Hunter Street in Liverpool L3.

From the back of the van, William "Kecks" McGuinness (Pete Postlethwaite) passes several large packages to John and Ritchie who carry them up to his flat. Dating from the 1930s, the Art Deco Gerrard Gardens also appears in 'Violent Playground'.

As John and Ritchie return to confront Kecks when their fake £20 note payment is returned to them in a pub, a train arrives bringing Greaves and his associate to Liverpool in search of stolen printing plates. Lime Street station, platform 5.

Greaves (George Baker) and his enforcer, the Chiropodist (Peter Vaughan), pass John and Ritchie on the stairs as they make their way to find Kecks and the small package stolen from the villain's safe. To make way for road improvements, Gerard Gardens was demolished soon after filming in 1987.

Having reluctantly agreed to drive the stolen plates across country to Parkeston in Essex for £2000, Richie and John decamp from the flat and flee Liverpool. Hope Street L1 with Liverpool Cathedral on the right.

The shot pans with the mobile disco. Hope Street with the Sixth Form of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts at the corner of Upper Duke Street L8 to the right. Nial Browne adds that Paul McCartney sponsored the setting up of Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA).

An unobscured view of the corner from Nial who adds that the now renovated building used to be the Liverpool Institute School which Paul McCartney attended.

Driving through the night, Ritchie and John head east.

Patrolling in Liverpool city centre, two Policemen (Edward Peel and Paul Brown) play I-spy. Rising in the background is the Royal Liver Building at Pier Head L3

Spotting a rope tied to a chain link fence, the two Officers run towards the river where they pull Kecks' footless body from the water. Facing south on Pier Head.

John and Ritchie breakfast at a transport café. Identified by Winstanly61, this is the now derelict Carr Mill Café on Laffak Road at the corner of East Lancashire Road and Carr Mill Road at Carr Mill in St. Helens, Merseyside.

Kecks' mate Cato (Iggy Navarro) makes his way to the lock up. In the background, a Merseyrail service passes over Little Howard Street in Liverpool L3.

Cato turns a corner and enters the premises where he finds Graves and the Chiropodist waiting with a shot-gun. Looking northward along the railway arches on Love Lane from the corner of Little Howard Street.

Looking at a map opened on the van's bonnet, John asks Ritchie if he's ever been to the Lake District.

To the sound of 'Road Runner' by Junior Walker and the All Stars playing on cassette, the pair head north.

After a remote signpost is checked, the road trip continues.

The two approach the landing for a car ferry . . . that's closed.

Returning the way they came, a herd of sheep slows the journey.

Leaving snow covered hills behind, the sun shines down on the Bedford van as it turns into a pub car park. The Brotherswater Inn on the A592 at Hartsop in Cumbria.

Foregoing their beer and sandwich, Ritchie and John leave the bar after watching a television news report about the discovery of Kecks' body. The back of the Brotherswater Inn.

Realising that they are the two men from the news that were seen on the night of the murder, the pair walk back to the van. The car park at the rear of the Brotherswater Inn at Hartsop.

Discussing their concern about being hunted by the crooks as well as the police, John and Ritchie get back into the conspicuous van and drive off. The car park at the Brotherswater Inn to the south of Hartsop in Cumbria.

Passing a garage selling second-hand cars, the two park up and walk back to the forecourt where they find the Proprietor in the kiosk embracing pump attendant Doreen.

After showing the lucky duo his fine collection of high quality used automobiles, the garage Proprietor (Bobby Knutt) is disappointed when he sees the proposed trade in for a Ford Zodiac Estate.

In Liverpool, a press conference is held in which a Police Inspector explains that McGuinness was engaged in criminal activities at the time of his death but is reluctant to speculate about a gangland killing.

Having secured the Zodiac in exchange for not telling the garage Proprietor's Wife about Doreen, Ritchie and John take rooms at an isolated pub in the story's Grimsdale. The Fat Lamb Inn at Cross Bank to the south-west of Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria.

Again patrolling Pier Head, the two Liverpool Policeman come across another rope tied to the same chain link fence. The dome in the left background belongs to the Port of Liverpool Building at the corner of Pier Head and Mann Island.

Cheering at his luck, Constable Williams unties the rope and pulls a bag containing a pair of feet from the Mersey. To give its full name, this is George's Pier Head in Liverpool L3.

Paying for the night's stay, the pair leave after the Landlord points to a newspaper article about the police looking for one black youth and one white youth. The Fat Lamb Inn stands at the junction of the A683, Egdale Lane and Townhead Lane at Cross Bank.

As the two get into their car, landlord's daughter Susan (Cherie Lunghi) waves to John. The Fat Lamb Inn at Cross Bank in Cumbria.

While Greaves and the Chiropodist leave Liverpool by train, Ritchie and John pull into a service station for fuel.

With the Ford Zodiac loaded onto a car transporter, the two fugitives successfully negotiate a police road block.

With the radiator of his Pontiac overheating, a US Airman turns off a dual-carriageway at the Happy Eater where Ritchie and John have parked up for a break. The Happy Eater on the westbound A14 at Newmarket Heath to the west of Newmarket in Suffolk.

Curtis Duchamps (Al Matthews) gets out of the Bonneville to examine the damage. The car park of the Happy Eater on the westbound A14 at Newmarket Heath.

As the USAF Chef negotiates a lift after waking Ritchie from his slumber, John leaves the restaurant after freshening up. The former Happy Eater became a Little Chef and is currently home to branches of Greggs and Starbucks.

The three arrive at RAF Mildenhall, home of the 48th TAC Fighter Wing of the US Air Force.

Mabel (Stacey Zuckerman) walks over to the Ford after Curtis insists on Ritchie and John coming into the base so that he can buy them both a beer.

Base Personnel make their way to the Bob Hope Recreation Centre

An Airman leaves the centre, saluting as he walks to his car.

The camera continues past the building to find more Airmen throwing a ball on a grassed area.

The tour of the base passes the Starlifter Burger Bar.

A corner is turned before a cut takes the viewer inside the bar where Curtis persuades Ritchie and John to perform a gig in the base's Galaxy Club that evening.

Next day, John and Ritchie leave the base and arrive in Parkeston a short time later.

Indicating left, the Zodiac is parked up. The Quay in Harwich, Essex.

John and Ritchie get out of the car. The Quay in Harwich with Shotley Gate visible across the River Stour.

The shot follows John as he crosses the road. The Quay with the entrance to the Ha'penny Pier to the centre.

Finding a telephone box, John calls Keck's contact. Facing north-east on the Quay with what is now Quayside Court to the right. The former municipal offices started life as a hotel and is now in use as flats.

John tells Ritchie that the Contact will meet them in half an hour. The Quay at Harwich in Essex with the Ha'penny Pier in the background.

The pair drive to another part of the docks and enter a building where they discover the Chiropodist waiting for them.

After the opportunity arises to dispatch the two crooks in a grain silo, Ritchie and John watch them be carried away in the back of a lorry.

Sirens signal the arrival of the Police who depart after arresting John for deserting the Air Force.

Returning north, Ritchie buys his Bedford Ice Cream van back from the garage Proprietor.

The Proprietor's Wife cleans a car as her husband gives Ritchie a package that he found in the van's fridge.

Nine months later, John is released from the Military Detention Centre in Massachusetts. The former Colchester Military Hospital in Colchester, Essex.

Ritchie meets his friend, telling him that they have a gig in Pasadena. Colchester Military Hospital at Sobraon Barracks in the Garrison at Colchester. The Victorian building was demolished in the 1990s.

The two drive away to the sound of Marvin Gaye singing 'Can I Get a Witness' . . . . .