Dog and the Diamonds, The (Children’s Film Foundation)

The film opens with a short pan over Shepley Buildings, played by Rogers House on the Grosvenor Estate in London SW1.

From ground level, one can just make out the west wing of Rogers House which still survives. SJ

This appears to be a small play area located between Princess Mary House and Duke's House with the background view looking across Vincent Street towards Tothill House. Recalling the filming that took place in Page Street, Vincent Street and inside the blocks. Barry Startup tells us that he was one of the children on the climbing frame adding that he lived in both Rogers and Tothill houses as well as nearby Regency Street. Barry remembers that he was 9 years old at the time at that some of his friends also appeared with him.

This may well be another dodgy one. The area between Princess Mary and Duke's was inaccessible so I settled for a mirror image between Tothill and Schomberg on the other side of Vincent Street which is marked as a playground on old maps. SJ

Running along the balcony as he leaves home, Peter looks down into the courtyard of Shepley Buildings. Rogers House between Vincent Street and Page Street.

This is Tothill House, the closest one could get to matching the west wing of Rogers House. SJ

Peter (Robert Sandford) reaches the stairs and slides down the bannister to land on his pal Jimmy.

Joining other Children in the courtyard, Peter takes a kick at a football. Rogers House in SW1.

The only matching architecture is number 12 on the extreme right. SJ

An Elderly Resident storms out of his flat after one of the windows is smashed by the ball.

At last, this is Rogers House but, with restricted, taken through the gates. SJ

Ginger (Robert Scroggins) follows Peter and Jimmy onto the street. In front of Rogers House with 12 Vincent Street to the right.

12 Vincent Street still stands with, on the left, part of Grosvenor Hall which replaced the west wing of Rogers House. SJ

Holding his puppy, Peter looks up at Ginger's homing pigeons while Jimmy (Michael Maguire) asks "What use are they?" Outside the since demolished part of Rogers House with the since demolished part of Tothill House in the left background.

A deliberate wider shot to show Grosvenor Hall and the edge of 12 Vincent Street on the right. SJ

Followed by a stray Dog, the three boys set off for Mrs. Fossett's pet shop. Hepburn House at the corner of Marsham Street and Vincent Street SW1.

Now with railings added. SJ

Falling over in his roller-skates, Jimmy lands on the road at a zebra crossing. Marsham Street with Erasmus Street to the left.

The crossing is still there and the trees are weightier. SJ

Jimmy snaps at the Driver of a fast car that almost runs into him. The corner of Marsham Street and Vincent Street in SW1.

The helpful street sign has gone. SJ

Remaining calm, Mousey (Hal Osmond), George (Arthur Lane) and Fred (Dennis Wyndham) wait for the lads to reach to footpath before driving off. Ray Glenister points out that the background is a closer shot of Hepburn House, looking west along Vincent Street at the corner of Marsham Street as seen in Capture 9. (RL)

The corner today. SJ

With the stray Dog still tagging along, Jimmy, Ginger and Peter reach the pet shop. Ray Glenister and Dave W simultaneously find this to be Regency Street, Westminster, London SW1 looking north toward the ruins of The Church of the Sacred Heart in Horseferry Road. (RL)

Many changes here. The church, in also its bombed out state, was seen in "Q Planes" and "Innocent Sinners". SJ

As Jimmy wonders to himself why the three men were in such a hurry, George drives away with Mousey and Fred. Looking southward on John Islip Street SW1 from the corner of Bulinga Street with Millbank Gardens to the right.

Similar views are seen in "Radio Pirates". SJ

The shady trio arrive on a busy street. The Broadway, Mill Hill NW7 with Boots at the corner of Brockenhurst Gardens to the left.

Boots still occupies the corner spot in Antony Blair's comparison.

George brings the car to a stand outside a Jewellers and Mousey steps onto the pavement. Facing 22 The Broadway in Mill Hill.

Antony Blair captured the same shop 70 years on.

A brick is thrown through the shop window and Mousey grabs a diamond necklace. Across The Broadway stands W.H. Smiths at number 29.

Paul Lincoln took a similar look across The Broadway and found that only W H Smith remains, albeit modernised. (RL)

Running from his shop, the Jeweller chases the crooks' car. Looking south-west on The Broadway. Tim Monks remembers the old railway bridge in the background explaining that it was replaced in the late 1960s. This also necessitated demolition of the old Mill Hill Broadway station which was rebuilt beneath the bridge. Tim also recalls that some attractive shops adjacent to the line were also lost, including a very old fashioned Sainsbury's that was arranged as an old fashioned grocers with two long marble counters leading to the back of the premises where a cashier sat to take payments for items that customers collected from assistants who marked up the price on paper bags at the counters.

With no fleeing crooks, Paul Lincoln satisfied himself with a passing car. (RL)

The villains make their getaway. Facing north-east on The Broadway in Mill Hill NW7 with the Union church in the right distance.

The same location taken by Antony Blair.

George explains the next part of the plan to Mousey and Fred before they make their way to ditch the car. Bulinga Street SW1 with Millbank Gardens to the left and Ruskin House on Herrick Street as the backdrop.

Railings restored to the gardens, thicker trees and a new one. SJ

Jimmy, Ginger and Peter leave Mrs. Fossett and head back home. Looking through the passage between Millais House and Mulready House from John Islip Street.

More enclosed. SJ

Marsham Street with Reynolds Buildings on Erasmus Street on the left, Marsham Court at the corner of Vincent Street to the centre and Maclise House on the right.

One would be brave to park under that tree in high winds. SJ

The thieves arrive at Oscar's garage. High Street, Bushey in Hertfordshire with the corner of Bournehall Road in the background recognised by Richard Lovejoy.

Taken from a similar viewpoint by Antony Blair.

Mousey and Fred transfer to another car as George tells a Mechanic to get rid of the one he's just brought in. As of 2023, the former garage premises survive on High Street in Bushey.

George drives from the garage. In the background stand 59 and 57 High Street, Bushey.

The criminals head to their hideout, an old house close to the jewellers and the flats where the Children live. Facing south-east on High Street in Bushey identified by Richard Lovejoy.

Antony Blair found that the the road has been narrowed.

When all pets are ordered to be removed from the flats by Mr. Forbes the caretaker, the Children carry their animals from the building. Rogers House with number 12 Vincent Street to the left.

Access is less straightforward. SJ

The camera follows the Children . . . as does the stray Dog they have named Boffin. Facing west on Vincent Street with Schomberg House on the left, Tothill House in the centre and Rogers House to the immediate right.

This is a retake of a previous view too close. One can just make out number 14 Vincent Street, the west wing of Tothill House and Schomberg House through the foliage on the far left. SJ

At the pet shop, Mrs. Fossett explains that she can't keep the animals. As with Capture 13 Ray and Dave place this once again in Regency Street, SW1 (RL)

Rebuilt. Pity the camera didn't capture the Regency Café just behind my right shoulder as that's still thriving as well as enjoying film appearances. SJ

The crooks' hideout . . . the abandoned Shepley House. Southwood House on Southwood Lane, London N6. The interesting connection of the house to Robert the Bruce found by Denis Hoare can be viewed by the link in the Header Section. (RL)

George leads Mousey and Fred into the grounds of the property. The gates of Southwood House on Southwood Lane.

This shot from Denis Hoare shows the original entrance and the one surviving pillar on the right. It also shows the dropped kerb and cobblestone surface to the entrance, together with the new houses replacing Southwood House. It is interesting to see that half of the original entrance light support, clearly seen in Captures 33 and 46, has been retained. (RL)

Having an idea where their pets can be safe, the Children carry the animals to a nearby derelict house. With a very vague wave of nostagia Dave W takes us to Vincent Square SW1 looking along Fynes Street towards Regency Street. (RL)

The brick wall on the original's left has been replaced with railings enclosing a small front garden (out of shot). SJ

Opening the gates of Shepley House, the Children take their pets inside. Facing Southwood House on Southwood Lane in Highgate.

This capture required a slightly different angle of the same entrance taken by Denis. Again, the retained portion of the lamp support is clearly eveident. (RL)

Reassuring each other that there's no one living at the house, the Children explore the garden. The 18th century Southwood House was burnt down in 1953.

Inside the building, the Children start to tidy up. The remains of Southwood House were demolished in the late 1950s.

Peter, Jimmy and Ginger play in the garden with Boffin before they disturb the crooks when a ball smashes a window. The land once occupied by Southwood House has since been populated by the 43 nondescript dwellings of Southwood House Estate.

George, Fred and Mousey hear a car pull up outside. Southwood House in Highgate.

Looking for suitable premises to set up a children's club, welfare officers Mr. Gayford (Geoffrey Sumner) and Mr. Plumpton (Brian Oulton) arrive outside Shepley House. Facing southward on Southwood Lane.

From this angle Denis found that the white fence on the left has been replaced and now has 2 horizontal bars instead of the one of the original. The left hand pillar has clearly been removed, but the lamp support structure on the remaining right hand pillar can now be seen from a different angle. (RL)

Mr. Forbes (George Coulouris) is annoyed to see one of Ginger's pigeons flying above Shepley Buildings. The courtyard of Rogers House on Vincent Street.

I poked my camera through the locked gates. SJ

Reading a note carried by the homing pigeon, Helen (Barbara Brown) learns that her friends are cornered in the attic of Shepley House and runs to find help. Page Street SW1 with the arch linking the two parts of Thames House just visible in the distance.

And access underneath that arch is now blocked off but can be seen in its former glory in "Mine Own Executioner". SJ

Facing west on Page Street with Marsham Court on the left and Rogers House to the centre.

A similar scene today. SJ

Helen finds Police Constable (John Boxer) on point duty. The junction of Marsham Street and Page Street in Westminster.

The postbox maintains its position even if it has rotated. The drain covers survive too. SJ

Led by Helen, Mr. Forbes and the residents of Shepley Buildings run to help their trapped friends.

No 14 Vincent Street survives on the left. SJ

With the Policeman joining the crowd. the rescue party nears Shepley House. Southwood Lane N6.

The wall on the right has been demolished and a matching white fence replaces it as Denis Hoare witnessed. (RL)

After Mr. Gayford and Mr. Plumpton decide that Shepley House is a suitable for conversion, a horde of Children make their way to the new club. Southwood Lane in Highgate.

The house in the background showing in the original capture exists, but is hidden by the trees. However, the wall has a distinct pattern, making it easy for Denis to match the location. (RL)

Southwood House on Southwood Lane N6.

Given the screen capture this is perhaps the best comparison shot of the right hand pillar and one of the original supports for the lamp above the entrance. Further it suggests that the column could be original, albeit cleaned up. Denis notes that this capture also shows the original cobblestone surface of the entrance. (RL)

Boffin runs alongside as the kids run through the grounds . . . plainly not the grounds seen previously, Kev Walsh explains that this is Bushey Rose Garden on High Street, Bushey in Hertfordshire.

Children make their way to the zoo set up by the Children from Shepley Buildings. The Pergola at Bushey Rose Garden in Bushey identified by Kev Walsh.

Mr. Forbes is chased from the club by Boffin. Looking north on Southwood Lane in Highgate N6 with The Park to the left.

This comparison shot from Denis reveals a very similar layout to that shown in the 1953 film, with the additions of a mini roundabout, new road markings and bollards. (RL)