Went the Day Well?

All shot in Turville, Buckinghamshire, which John Larkin tells us was also used for scenes in 1945's 'Dead of Night'.

Now.

One could almost stand in one place and photograph in a circle and capture everything.

Now.

A church, a pub, a village green and that's it.

The same shot 73 years on without the words. (RL)

Perhaps at one time the manse.

Now.

To increase the number of "now" photos. (RL)

Good, solid, English church.

Now.

The ex-school and library, Turville, Buckinghamshire.

Now.

Antony Blair returned to the scene to find one of the trees still alive 81 years later.

Now.

The pub, renamed for the film.

It remains as the "Bull & Butcher" today. (RL)

Now.

Now.

John Rhodes provides this shot of the location now. Slightly off angle because the Bull & Butcher has had an extension, they have either used the same door and over canopy or copied the old but the background building remain the same, OK so a chimney is missing! (RL)

The pub is on the right, the white building.

And, as you see, still is.

Antony Blair updated the record with this view.

Now.

An almost unchanging scene captured by Antony Blair.

Now.

Now.

Antony found the roof fully restored and intact.

The Old Vicarage, Turville Bucks.

Now.

A barn, Turville, Bucks.

And today.

A barn, Turville, Bucks.

Still with an ARP (Air Raid Precaution) WWII sign on the wall! Obviously taking no chances these villagers.

And this is where the mystery starts. The corner on the left is a set, it was never a building in reality.

And now.

Antony Blair found a less cluttered view from the one 15 years ago.

View from Cobstone Hill, over Turville, Buckinghamshire.

Similar view now.

Antony Blair looked down onto the village across a field of sweetcorn.

View from Cobstone Hill, over Turville, Buckinghamshire.

Similar view now.

Cobstone Hill Mill. This windmill also appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Dead of Night made in 1945 also made in Turville. John Larkin sent this information in. Thanks John.

Now.

A view of the village, which doesn't actually show the fake post office, unless it's hidden by the trees on the left.

Now, trees gone, cars parked where the phantom Post Office was built. Pub on the left.

Photo kindly supplied by Eric Thurman, who confirmed that the Post Office never was! I really must try and get a life! The picture shows the pub, the white building and a timber store office on the right, now demolished.

Michael Miller sends us this comparative shot that he took last month whilst touring the area for "now's". (RL)

Corner of Chiltern Way, Turville, Buckinghamshire.

Now.

The pub, now called the Bull and Butcher.

Now.

Peter Woodman updates us that a plaque has been fixed to the pub's wall commemorating the 80th anniversary of filming.

Now.

Antony Blair returned to the pub.

The memorial was a prop, but two old wooden benches remain.

Now.

The set. The Post Office.

Accepting that the Post Office was a prop John Rhodes took this shot of the view without the obstruction. (RL)

The set, built in front of the pub, taken from the churchyard gates.

Now, from the churchyard gates towards the pub.

The gates from 1956 are still in place as Antony Blair discovered.

Churchyard of St Mary's, Turville.

Now.

All much the same angle, but with the Post Office set on left side of wdw025b.

Now.

All much the same angle, but with the Post Office set on left side of wdw025b.

Now.

All much the same angle, but with the Post Office set on left side of wdw025b.

At "much the same angle". (RL)

All much the same angle.

Now.

Much the same in Antony Blair's comparison.

More evidence, kindly supplied by another villager, whose family have lived in the village since 1927. Showing the timber works office on the left, but with no Post Office!

John Rhodes provides an up to date shot of the same spot now still evidencing no Post Office but it would have been where the Range Rover is parked. (RL)

Stanwell Place, Stanwell, Middlesex, identified by Chris Makin. Now demolished. The driveway gatepost can be seen in 'Genevieve' Capture 42. (RL)

Chris Makin identifies this as Stanwell Place and sends this 1953 photo stating that the front of the house is to the left in the screen grab. He adds that the troops are approaching the area that later became tennis courts and the apple tree on the left is clearly larger in 1953. As a child, Chris knew the gardens well and found a box of blank ammunition that would have been used in the film. The house, which was a magnet for British film studios throughout the 1950's and 60's was sadly demolished around 1965, the area, now unrecognisable, is now a hideous gravel pit. (RL)

The pub. But the heavy shadow on the bottom right suggests a building??.the Post Office again.

Now. Well, what an adventure, and what a wonderful set of pics. Heartiest congratulations and hugest thanks to Geff Barrett for his sleuthing. And, obviously the Day Went Very Well Indeed.