Sing As We Go

The whistle blows at Greybeck Mill to signal the end of the final shift. This pair of distinctive chimneys belong to Back o' th' Bank power station that stood alongside the River Tonge in Bolton, Lancashire until 1979.

Gracie Platt (Gracie Fields) emerges from the building after learning from General Manager Hugh Phillips that there’s no hope of the mill opening again. Possibly a studio set.

When Aunt Alice tells Gracie of a job at Mrs. Clotty’s guest house in Blackpool, she cycles to the resort.

Reaching Blackpool, Gracie is given very confusing directions as to how to find the guest house on Lime Street.

A little further along the road, a Policeman (Stanley Holloway) is asked to point the way but he has no idea where the address is. Brian Cardwell tells us that his Father, born in Blackpool, was a teenager at the time of filming and he remembered the film crew coming into town along the then newly opened Preston New Road,

Young Lads selling ice cream all give different directions. Outside the St John's covered market at the corner of Corporation Street and West Street in Blackpool, Lancashire. The market was demolished in 1939.

Heading for the sea front, Gracie gets caught up in a cycling carnival. This is Church Street, seen from the Promenade.

Gracie almost collides with an approaching tram. This is one of the recently introduced English Electric Railcoaches running south along the Promenade with the North Pier’s Arcade in the left distance.

A tilt down The Blackpool Tower on the Promenade transitions into a studio shot of the frontage of The Savoy, Mrs. Clotty’s guest house. Blackpool features in many films including 'Holidays with Pay', 'They Met in the Dark', ‘Forbidden’, 'The Cuckoo Patrol', 'Dual Alibi', 'The Parole Officer', ‘Dick Barton Strikes Back’, 'A Taste of Honey' and ‘Love on the Dole’.

Antony Blair captured the same scene 89 years later, with the leadwork removed

Sacked by Mrs. Clotty for tipping stewed rhubarb over a valued guest, Gracie meets Londoner Phyllis Logan (Dorothy Hyson) when she enters a bathing beauty contest.

The scene cuts to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, just across the Promenade from the beach at South Shore.

Visiting the Lancashire resort for the first time in a while, Sir William Upton (Lawrence Grossmith) decides to stop off at the Pleasure Beach.

Having travelled to the resort hoping to find Sir William and discuss production of a new synthetic silk, Hugh Phillips (John Loder) meets Gracie's friend Phyllis at the Pleasure Beach.

After causing mayhem in the side shows, Gracie almost escapes detection as she leaves the ladies convenience.

Running through the exit, Gracie manages to leave the Pleasure Beach. Looking out onto the Promenade at South Shore.

Gracie bumps into Sir William Upton at the Pleasure Beach and learns about his new fibre.

Gracie’s Uncle Murgatroyd and his pal Hezekiah Crabtree arrive by coach with their fellow Stag Hunters.

The Stag Hunters parade along the Promenade to their convention at the Winter Gardens. Looking north on the Promenade between Hounds Hill and Brunswick Street with The Tower in the left distance. The sequence also appears in 'Here Comes the Sun'.

Paul Swailes captures a similar view.

Gracie calls to her Uncle as the Stag Hunters pass by. In the left background stands the Victoria Hotel at the corner of Brunswick Street.

The bathing beauty contest gets under way. The South Shore Swimming Bath in Blackpool, also known as the Swimming Coliseum.

The crowd cheers as Phyllis wins the beauty competition. The South Shore Swimming Coliseum dating from 1923.

This is how the location appears now.

That evening Gracie finds a drunk Phyllis at a circus before helping her to the celebratory party at the Tower Ballroom. This is outside Blackpool Tower Circus on the Promenade.

When Gracie arrives at the station to see Phyllis off she spots her in Hugh's arms. Identified by Peter Brown this is Blackpool Central station on Central Drive with The Tower in the distance. The station features in ‘Hindle Wakes’ (1952), 'No Lady' and ‘Love on the Dole’.

Phyllis is escorted to the London train by Gracie while Hugh speaks with a Policeman. Talbot Road station on Talbot Road, which was renamed Blackpool North in 1932 and closed in 1974 to be replaced by the present Blackpool North station.

After the train to the Capital departs, the Policeman hands over a letter while telling Gracie that the Greybeck Mill is reopening. Blackpool Talbot Road station on Talbot Road, Blackpool in Lancashire. The site is now occupied by a retail outlet.

With a deal with Sir William secured, the mill reopens and the staff march back to work accompanied by a brass band. This montage isn't a great way to display the location . . . a better view can be seen in the post script images.

Led by Gracie, the mill workers turn into the yard of Greybeck Mill. Julie Hill tells us that her grandfather Ben Byers appeared in the film playing trombone. He was principal trombonist with Wingates Temperance Band and recalled that "Gracie had broken her shoe heel minutes before the single take and borrowed a mill girl's clogs!"

As a post script, this and the following four images are provided by Ken Kuban. Here we see a clearer view of the scene outside the old St. John's Market at the corner of Corporation Street and West Street. Peter Nuttall confirms that the market was demolished prior to the Second World War and adds that E. H. Booth, seen on the tricycle to the left, is still operating as an upmarket chain of supermarkets across the north of England.

Here we see outdoor location filming, 1930s style! This sequence was edited to become part of a montage and appears as the capture in which Gracie and her colleagues march back to work. Gail Oldroyd confirms Graham Chivrall's view that this is one of the Denvale Mills at the end of Union Road in Bolton, Lancashire which is born out by the use of the chimneys of Back o' th' Bank power station that stood next door. Gail adds that the River Tonge flows alongside the road. Again, the picture is provided by Ken Kuban.

Bolton, with the Besses o' th' Barn Band providing the musical accompaniment. Graham Chivrall has provided additional information that points to this being Denvale Mill in Bolton. His account can be viewed by following the link in the header section above. Julie Hill advises that the band was Besses O' the Barn Band from Whitefield with extra players invited to join them from Wingates Temperance Band at Westhoughton, including her grandfather Ben who was the trombonist in the front row wearing a bowler hat.

Blackpool with a barefoot Basil Dean, on the left behind the camera. Peter Nuttall advises that this is the former South Shore Open Air Swimming Coliseum alongside the Promenade in Blackpool where the bathing beauty competition was filmed. Prior to the outbreak of World War II the Coliseum was a venue for many famous beauty contests including the Cotton Queen contests. The venue was demolished in the early 1980s.

This is Blackpool's Promenade with the County Hotel to the left and the Palace Theatre in the right background. The camera is set up to capture the scene where Gracie almost cycles into a tram. The area has seen a great deal of redevelopment. Once more, Ken Kuban provides the image.

Additionally, David Waddington sent us this posed photo which has been in his family for many years as the mounted policeman on the left is his Mother’s Father. The image is from an original print by Cyril Leeston, a gentleman who David understands was a regular photographer of Gracie Fields. David's Grandmother kept this picture, which she and his Mum treasured, and was able to identify the location and date when his research landed him on this ReelStreets page.