Grand National Night (aka Wicked Wife)

The scene is set through the credits of horses being exercised.

We cut to a car speeding from round a bend on the wrong side of the road.

The car pulls into the drive of an impressive house. It looks as if this could be a matted shot of the house. Bob Harwood and his mother-in-law advise that this is 'Barkham Square', Barkham Street, Barkham near Wokingham, Berkshire. The Mansion and other buildings are now impossible to see from the original locations due to tall trees and hedges that have grown up since the film was made and the entrance in this capture is now no longer used.

Andrew Price establishes the fact that the Mansion is in fact, 'almost' impossible to see, having managed to capture a window.

Where Jack Donovan (Leslie Mitchell) drops off Babs Coates (Moira Lister) before waving goodbye to her. Andrew Price, having visited Barkham Square, is sceptical that this is the drive, the tree lined avenues and trimmed hedgerows, looking more akin to capture2.

The trainers are seen bringing the horses back to the stables.

Meanwhile Babs insists on taking a horse in foal out for a ride. Bob Harwood's mother-in-law can remember the filming and tells us that the "daffs" seen here plastic as they were out of season when the film was made.

Despite the dramatic change of view Andrew found that the brick wall remains, albeit, sometime painted white.

As she rides off in haste Sgt. Gibson (Barry MacKay) watches her. Stephen Dean identifies this as the same building used in 'The Navy Lark', in fact it was situated at Walton Studios, Walton-on-Thames in Surrey. The building can be seen in the YouTube video, Walton Studios Publicity, 1960's-Film 1367. Hugh Moules tells us that the studio closed on the 15th January 1961 and was redeveloped.

Now the middle block of the three blocks of flats on Wellington Close stands on the site. Image copyright Google Streetview.

In the early hours of the morning the horse starts premature labour, Babs having earlier gone to stay with a friend in Liverpool. An additional capture to aid identification of the house that looks, perhaps, even more a matted shot. Whilst I have not been able to find any pictures of Barkham Square, OS Map drawings over various years confirm the footprint as seen today rather than the screen capture.

From this angle, Andrew managed to capture a large proportion of the Mansion to see that Barkham Square has been painted white. He tells us that it was listed as Grade II in 1967 and is now being assessed by Wokingham Borough Council as a potential major development site.

The scene moves to Liverpool where Philip Balfour (Noel Purcell), who is urgently required in connection with the premature birth, has gone. By chance so has Babs. Aintree Racecourse in Lancashire.

Stands have been rebuilt and replaced over the intervening years. (PW)

A further shot of the course for the record. Grand National Day at Aintree.

From in front of the stands, where spectators were dispersing after the last race. (PW)

With Gerald’s horse winning the National, Babs together with Jack her friends Pinkie Collins (Betty Ann Davies) and Buns Darling (Colin Gordon) go into Liverpool to celebrate, but Babs has a row with John and calls for his car with a view to driving home. Something ‘STAR’ garage. Paul Birkin advises that it is most likely BLUE STAR as it was a nationwide petrol station chain years ago.

After reckless driving and without a license, she arrives home where she and Gerald fight and she appears to get stabbed. He bungles her body into Donovan’s car and the following morning carries on as if nothing has happened. Upon returning from a ride with Joyce Penrose (Beatrice Campbell) they see Sgt. Gibson and Philip in the stables. Barkham Square, Barkham Street, Barkham near Wokingham in Berkshire.

Gerald admits to Joyce that Babs died as a result of a struggle and recounts the moment that he pulled up knowing that she was dead in the car beside him.

An incriminating railway ticket is found in Gerald’s coat pocket and the net closes in on him. Investigating officer Inspector Ayling calls at the local police station to discuss the matter with Sergeant Gibson. The Shute, Wokingham, looking across to The Terrace, with thanks to Ron Vale for the identification who advises that the shot was taken from outside what used to be a school to which the Police light was attached.

Andrew Price provides us with the same view some 60+ years onwards. Progress provides a "For Sale" sign adorning the old school building rather than a police light and the road layout now providing a filter lane for traffic turning right into Station Road.

The police make their way to the house to interview Gerald once more. No spoilers! Barkham Street, Barkham near Wokingham, Berkshire.

Now hidden behind greenery, Andrew found that a number of windows have been added and the brickwork has been painted red.