That’ll Be the Day

Outside the family shop, a young Jim MacLaine (Sacha Puttnam) watches with his Mother (Rosemary Leach) and Grandfather (James Ottaway) as his Father returns from the war.

Meaders Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Now shot by Bernie.

Jim's Father (James Booth) leaves home. Meaders Road, Ryde in Hampshire at the time of filming.

Another comparison from Bernie who notes that the road was a dead end in 1972.

Jim's friend Terry Sutcliffe (Robert Lindsay) collects his bike after school. Sandown High School, The Fairway in Sandown on the Isle of Wight.

The best shot available now.

Jim MacLaine (David Essex) and Terry cycle home. Sandown High School, Sandown. Now called the Sandown Bay Academy.

Ian provides this best view possible from an external car park noting that the tree to the right in the screen capture has grown considerably.

Terry and Jim go to a local cafe. Michael Green advises that the cafe was called The Caribou.

Cross Street looking to the corner of Union Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight. Now image provided by Bernie.

The friends enter the cafe. Michael adds that the cafe is still known as The Caribou.

Another now shot from Bernie. Cross Street, Ryde,

Jim and his friends go to the cinema. Church Street, Ventnor, Isle of Wight. The building is now full of flats known as Kingsview but features the Rex Piano Bar. Whilst browsing through the pages of ReelStreets, Christine Gallerand spotted herself in the cinema queue, 7th from the end with a long brown ponytail wearing a yellow coat.

Kieran replaces Tonyk's Google Streetview with an up to date shot from the correct angle. (RL)

Jim and Terry cycle to school on the morning of exams but Jim decides that's not the life for him. Golf Links Road, Sandown, Isle of Wight.

Kieran provides a shot of that same bridge revealing a number of changes and much more greenery. (RL)

After arriving in a seaside town, Jim looks through the window of his run down bedsitter. Paul Coueslant advises that this was a house adjoining Shanklin Gas Works which was demolished along with the gas holders to be replaced with a supermarket and housing.

After consulting old maps, Ian Christie provides this shot taken from the embankment just behind where the bedsit was located. A new building has been built over the gas holder's location. This image replaces Paul Coueslant's earlier Google image.

Jim gets a job as a deckchair attendant and watches two girls on the beach. Shanklin, Isle of Wight with Shanklin Pier in the background. The pier was destroyed by a storm in 1987.

The rather empty view now by Ian Christie. This is a wider shot to include the solid groyne, which appeared in the film for a few seconds before the camera panned to the pier.

The Ocean View Hotel stands on Shanklin Esplanade and has since been renamed The Shanklin Beach Hotel.

Kieran provides a comparative shot showing that the steps to the beach remain in place but there have been changes to the hotel. (RL)

Jim MacLaine keeps eying the girls. On the beach at Shanklin with the Esplanade in the background.

Ian Christie provides this view of the location now.

That evening, Jim escorts the two girls to the fairground. IMDB mentions Southsea's Clarence Pier which is justified by a kiosk selling Southsea Rock seen in other frames of this sequence.

This is Clarence Pier Fairground. Jim and the girls are to the right of the Dodgems. The fairground was downsized and redeveloped. This area is now the car park of the Premier Inn. SD

An earlier frame shows the fairground's big wheel. Southsea's Clarence Pier had a unique wheel which had saucer shaped cars that rotated - is this the one? Confirming that the wheel was the Corbiere, Richard Ryan sent this link http://www.richardswheel.com/ which contains more detail.

The wheel is indeed the Clarence Pier Corbiere wheel. To the right is the Ghost train, and to the left the Billy Manning Gallopers. After redevelopment this area is now a pirate themed golf course. SD

Jim's Mother turns up unexpectedly. The beach, Shanklin.

Kieran provides this up to date shot revealing the disappearance of the pier following the 1987 hurricane but the groyne remains. (RL)

Mrs MacLaine leaves money for her son. Shanklin, Isle of Wight.

Not a deck chair seller in sight when Kieran was there. (RL)

Jim gets drunk after buying drinks with the money. Shanklin Pier, Shanklin. Ian Christie adds that the structure to the left is the underside of a large slide which stood at the far end of the pier.

In the absence of the pier, Ian Christie provides this shot of what would be the landward end of the structure.

After getting a job in at a holiday camp, Jim meets Mike (Ringo Starr). IMDB claims that Pontin's Little Canada Holiday Camp, Wootton, Isle of Wight was used for the holiday camp scenes. However, information from Bernie in Ryde shows that Warner's Puckpool Holiday Camp was used.

Ian Christie visited the former camp and tells us that "Puckpoool has been derelict for many years now with nature taking hold. In this 'now' shot the only original part of the scene that can be made out is the very top of two of the huts and the branches of the tree that stood behind Mike (Ringo Starr) in the capture.

Jim and Mike talk as they walk. The entertainment complex at Puckpool Holiday Camp, Ryde, Isle of Wight.

Ian Christie advises that the complex was set on fire some years ago and then demolished adding "In this comparison the low white wall can be seen in an area now surrounded by trees and bushes."

The chalet where the new friends are lodging. Warner's Puckpool Holiday Camp, Ryde.

Picture and information from Bernie who adds 'the camp has been derelict for 6 years and it may be demolished soon'.

And again . . . .

As the filming at Puckpool was contained to a relatively small area Ian was able to obtain this shot of the chalets where Jim and Mike stayed. The second one along on the left.

The pair play crazy golf in their spare time. Puckpool Holiday Camp.

Kieran advises that the majority of the crazy golf has been moved to Ventnor and admits that he has cheated with this shot of the same repainted holes. (RL)

And once more, to allow for a further comparison of the site, the pair play crazy golf in their spare time.

Ian Christie's 'now' image shows how overgrown the pitch n putt area has now become. "Before the holiday camp was closed a water-slide was built over some of the pitch n putt site, winding down to the swimming pool. This large slide is now completely covered in growth.

Jim and Mike watch two girls. Puckpool Holiday Camp.

This best angled 'now' shot that Ian could gain was taken from the top of the water-slide built after the film. The swimming pool has had its lining ripped up to reveal this bear white surface while the entertainment block behind the pool has since been demolished.

Mike chats the girls up and they arrange to go out that evening. Puckpool Holiday Camp, Isle of Wight. Ian Christie adds that the background building is the Grade II listed Puckpool House.

Puckpool House is now fenced off from the old holiday camp site but the distinctive window in Ian's comparison confirms the location.

The friends discuss the previous night. Warner's Puckpool Holiday Camp, Ryde.

Ian Christie's shot demonstrates again how the old holiday camp site has been left to grow wild with only the remains of the outdoor swimming pool discernible through the trees.

Ian Christie provides this additional capture where two girls peer through the widows of the bar at the holiday camp. The view is looking out from inside the Lakeside Inn at Wootton Bridge, Ryde.

Ian also provides this comparison of the same view of the inn which has since been refurbished to include a glass roof and is now the brasserie of the Lakeside Park Hotel.

Jim invites his old school friend Terry (Robert Lindsey) to see the Skid that he's working on and gives him a fast ride to impress. In this additional capture. a distinctive house stands in the background and a lake is glimpsed to the right which led Ian Christie to discover that this as the grounds of Lakeside Park Hotel in Wootton. This confirms S. M. J. Hince's recollection of a fairground scene being shot at the location and his memories of the film crew drinking in The Sloop Inn opposite.

Ian's comparison shows the house, which stands on Firestone Corpse Road, and the Old Mill Pond. The trees in the foreground have been planted since the film was made.

Jim looks through the window of a hairdressers shop after returning home to make a go of working in the family business. Cross Street in Ryde found by Ian Christie.

Photographed by Cathey Reevell to replace the Google Streetview from Tonyk. Additional "now" shots from Cathy and Ian relative to the Puckpool Camp in 2018 can be seen via the Header Section. (RL)

Jim (David Essex) takes his future wife Jeanette (Rosalind Ayres) to a picnic area. (RL)

The picnic spot located and photographed by Ian Christie. Wootten Bridge, Isle of Wight. (RL)

A van pulls up outside the MacLaine's shop.

Bernie captured Meaders Road, Ryde.

Jim shows his mother a new van that he has obtained for the business. Meaders Road, Ryde.

With that fence, we'll never know if Rosemary Leach is still in the garden. Now image sent in by Bernie.

Jim uses the van for courting his future wife, Jeanette. Following years of research, Ian Christie has located this field behind Hazely Combe in Arreton. The building behind the nearest power pole is Heasley Manor and the hills in the far distance are Shanklin Down and part of Wroxall Down.

Ian provides this modern view adding "Over the last 46 years there has been a lot of tree and hedge growth, hence much of the background is obscured. The far left chimney of Heasley Manor is now only barely visible. The view of the Downs are now blocked by hedges as well. However the power poles still exist as can clearly be seen."

Jeanette (Rosalind Ayres) asks Jim if he has been seeing her sister. Meaders Road, Ryde.

Another shot from Bernie.

Seen through the window, Jim approaches a secondhand shop. Cross Street, Ryde.

Bernie strikes again from behind a thicker window frame!

The first guitar is about to be purchased. Cross Street, Ryde looking towards Melville Street.

Our Isle of Wight correspondent, Bernie, sent in this picture.

Jim takes his son for a walk and ponders his life. Alex Fitzsimon located this as the boating lake/pond in Oakwood Park, London N21 adding that he used to live by the park in the 70's as a child.

Ian Christie advises that the pond has now become the Oakwood Wildlife Pond and only some parts of the wall can be seen, but not from this angle.

Jim remembers his father. Identified by Alex Fitzsimon as the boating lake in Oakwood Park N21.

The willow trees have taken over at the Oakwood Wildlife Pond. In Ian Christie's comparison, part of the pond wall can now be seen to the left.

Just as his father before him, Jim leaves his wife, child and home. The street sign is a bit of a giveaway but this is facing St Johns Road at the corner of Meaders Road in Ryde, Isle of Wight.

Same corner, different view. Now picture provided by Bernie.