Crossroads to Crime

A lorry pulls up at a café. Tony Winzar has corrected the location and tells us that the café still exists and looks much the same today, only busier. The Riverside Transport Café, Colnbrook By-Pass, Slough in Berkshire.

Antony Blair found the Riverside Cafe looking much the same but now with a porch and minus the chimney.

Diamond (George Murcell) and Johnny (David Graham) come to take the owner Connie Williams (Miriam Karlin), to see Miles (Ferdy Mayne). This could be studio premises.

As they walk to the front of the café a PC Don Ross (Anthony Oliver) approaches from over a small bridge. A bus stop on the other side of the bridge and perhaps a road to a rubbish tip facing. Tony Winzar tells us that this is the Colnbrook By-Pass as viewed from the the The Riverside Transport Café in Slough SL3 0EH.

Antony took this view of the entrance to the cafe with the bridge over the river in the background.

Reaching the front they all get into the waiting car. Tony Winzar has corrected the location and tells us that the café still exists and looks much the same today, only busier. The Riverside Transport Café on Colnbrook By-Pass, Slough.

No sign of a classic Ford when Antony visited.

Don looks as Connie appears to want to call him. Tony's identification tells us that this is the Colnbrook By-Pass, Slough as viewed from the the The Riverside Transport Café, Colnbrook By-Pass, Slough.

The same location taken by Antony Blair, looking across the A4 from the cafe car park.

As they bungle her into the car and start to race off Don endeavours to stop them. The parking area of The Riverside Transport Café, Colnbrook By-Pass, Slough as identified by Tony.

With the light failing, Antony provides the proof with this shot of the car park and exit.

Don hangs on valiantly as the car approaches the bridge . . . . I stood to be corrected and Dan Randall, with local knowledge, is able to confirm that this is in fact Dover Road bridge looking north, on the other side was a pair of concrete WW2 roadblocks flanking the road that provided him with vantage points when train spotting.

….and even as they swerve left…. Dan's confirmation of the previous capture establishes that this is Dover Road as it meets Buckingham Avenue.

The location as it appears now by Nick Boorman.

.....managing to lift his legs to avoid hitting a Morris van. Buckingham Avenue, Slough from about Dundee Rd. Note the railway wagon to the extreme right, part of the Slough Trading Estate Railway. Tony confirms the location and tells us that the factory was International Alloys.

Starting to leave the industrial estate Connie pleads with Johnny “to stop him”. Buckingham Avenue, Slough approaching the junction with Burnham Lane.

The next obstacle is a bridge. The junction of Buckingham Avenue and Burnham Lane, Slough.

Nick Boorman found more greenery surrounding the Great Western Main Line.

Through the bridge and into a residential area. Burnham Lane, Slough.

The tunnel now one-way, providing a pavement for me to take the comparison shot. (SR)

But shortly after and a blow to his jaw the policeman falls to the ground. Burnham Lane, Slough. It looks as though it is at the junction with Brook Crescent.

No sleeping policeman here. (SR)

Are they really going to reverse over him? No, to pick him up and take him to his home. Burnham Lane, Slough but the reverse direction, now approaching the bridge.

Taken from just off the side of the road for safety reasons. More leafy on the right, more full of cars to the left. (SR)

Having dropped Don off the trio drive on to Miles’ house. Could this be a Maidenhead location as quoted in Wikipedia?

Coming to a halt at the front door.

Miles’ next lorry target carries cigarettes bound for London. 'Hardy & Co, Carpets & Bedding' to the left. Di Davies advises that this is Slough High Street, her Mum and Dad bought a three piece suite and dining set there in the early 1960's. Such was the purchase the store manager gave them a lift home in his Ford Anglia!

This part of the High Street is more run-down today, with greengrocers replacing the furniture showroom. (SR)

The lorry makes its way to the café for the driver to have breakfast. A4?

Getting nearer and nearer. Could this be the A4, does that distinctive roadside help establishing the location? A bus stop on the opposite side of the road.

The driver Paddy (Harry Towb) asks Johnny for fuel and for the vans oil to be checked. Studio premises perhaps?

Both Don and Johnny watch as the van drives off, with some of its load missing. Tony's correction has provided the location telling us that the café still exists and looks much the same today, only busier. The Riverside Transport Café on Colnbrook By-Pass, Slough, Berkshire.

Antony Blair captures the same scene.

Paddy slows as he approaches a main road. Another location identified by Di, exiting Hitcham Road into Bath Road, Taplow, Berkshire.

Turns left and carries on his way. Following on from Capture 22 this has to be Bath Road, Taplow, Berkshire just past the junction with Hitcham Road.

Paddy later pulls off the road to another café.

Yes, this café.

The gang member who hid in the back of the lorry, breaks out and drives off. Di Davies says it "has a Marsh Lane, Dorney Reach feel to it". On that basis there is indeed a very strong indication that this is the bend on which now sits the Eton College Rowing Centre, Dorney Lake. Maybe a bare tree or two could provide a match.

Preparations are made for the “next, largest and last job”, nickel bullion. The lorry driver Len (Victor Maddern) centre.

The lorry is flagged down by Johnny as it travels a country road. Burnham Beeches area perhaps. Gordon Thomson tells us that this is junction of Heathfield Road and Sheepcote Lane, Burnham.

Phil Richards went to the exact same spot and found a deserted road in which to position himself. (RL)

Johnny entices the security guard from out of the cab on the pretext of an accident. Bus stops and what looks like the drive to a house. Gordon Thomson tells us that this is junction of Heathfield Road and Sheepcote Lane, Burnham.

Once again Phil took Gordon's location identification and found that very little had changed. (RL)

Following resolution of the case with shoot out and arrests Len finds himself back on the road. Once more the A4? Yes, says Tony, just west of the junction with Huntercombe Lane, the building below the lorry's wing mirror still stands.

Later providing a cheery wave to PC Don Ross. Di Davies provides the location, the junction of Burnham Lane and Haymill Road. The building to the left (before the houses), she says, would have been The Red Squirrel pub, which closed down a few years back, but is now a Tesco local.

Having identified the location Di provides us with a now shot. A trip down 'Memory Lane'.