Woman In A Dressing Gown

[Traherne]

I recently got a great copy of this film from this forum (thank you Mushy747) - and wondered if anybody knew where the London estate is - "Nightingale House". Is that a fictitious name (Yvonne Mitchell also says it when giving her address so it could be made up?). I'd be interested to know if the estate is still there or whether it's been pulled down/rebuilt like so many others?



Any help greatly appreciated, thanks!

[stevie boy]

Any ideas where the Housing Estate(Flat) was ???

[stevie boy]

Any ideas where the Housing Estate(Flat) was ???

Anyone have any ideas??

[mariocki]

Any pics?

[Mark O]

I'll need to look at the film again but I have the impression it was inner south-east london near the river thames, Bermondsey/Peckham areas may be worth a scour.

[tavistock]

I agree with Mark O, Bermondsey looks likely but it could be Tower Hamlets or Islington, anywhere that was bombed heavily during the war. My copy is so grainy I couldn't make out any distinquishing signs.

[davec25]

The only thing I remember about the location shots in the film is the name "Nightingale House" on one of the blocks. Might be a starting point?

[Mark O]

The only thing I remember about the location shots in the film is the name "Nightingale House" on one of the blocks. Might be a starting point?

Could be, being a post-war built block of flats it's more than likely still standing.

[tavistock]

There is a Nighingale House in Hackney, big estate behind the block in Nuttall Street.

[mariocki]

There was a Nightingale Estate in Clapton E5 as well but a lot of that has been demolished. I think one of the blocks was used by Top Gear when they placed a Toyota Hilux on the roof to see if it would survive the demolition and as we all know, it did.

[Paul Emmett]

I saw this film for the first time on Monday, 1 August 2011 at the National Film Theatre on the South Bank. The producer, Frank Godwin was present at this screening, but when asked, he couldn't remember where the estate was. I think I have a good idea where the flats are. Very early on in the film you see the estate from the outside and in the distance the tower of the Victoria and Albert Museum can be seen. Some way to the left of the V & A tower the twin towers of the Natural History Museum can also be seen. Both of these buildings seem fairly near and I would guess that the estate in question is within a mile south of these two museums. I am now trying to locate the estate on Google Streetview.

[tavistock]

Would be good to nail this one, not many council estates around that area! The only estate I can think of is the Peabody estate on Grosvenor Road but I don't think there is a Nighingale House there.

[Paul Emmett]

Would be good to nail this one, not many council estates around that area! The only estate I can think of is the Peabody estate on Grosvenor Road but I don't think there is a Nighingale House there.

I suspect that Nightingale House is fictitious. There is a Nightingale House at 1-7 Fulham High Street but that is definitely not the one as it consists of flats above shops. According to the programme notes from the National Film Theatre the flats are desribed as 'middle class flats' as opposed to council flats.

[Paul Emmett]

I suspect that Nightingale House is fictitious. There is a Nightingale House at 1-7 Fulham High Street but that is definitely not the one as it consists of flats above shops. According to the programme notes from the National Film Theatre the flats are desribed as 'middle class flats' as opposed to council flats.

I have a feeling now that these flats could well be south of the river in Battersea or even Clapham. The view you have in the film (Woman In A Dressing Gown) of the South Kensington museums is identical to a photo of a view from a top floor flat in Cheyne Place, Chelsea, currently on display in an estate agent's window in Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea (October 2011). On this latter photo however, the museums appear to be somewhat nearer than in the film, which suggests that the flats in the film are a bit further away, on the other side of the river.

[DB7]

A grab I took today.

[tavistock]

In the letter page in The Guardian this week Susan Cran writes 'Deborah Orr says Carole Lesley 'starred' in WIADG. In fact she played a small supporting role in the film, which was produced by my father, now 94. The star was Yvonne Mitchell and the leading female supporting role was played by Sylvia Syms. Just wondered whether we could contact Susan Cran who lives in London whether she could ask her father where the estate was.

[Mark O]

Another large estate that's worth a look is the Woodberry Down estate off Seven Sisters road in the Manor House area of North London.

[tavistock]

Through a long windy route I've tracked down Frank Godwin and spoke to him this morning (he's 94). He sadly can't remember where the film was shot, but said he was (quite rightly!) more interested in the acting and how the scenes were shot rather than the locations. It is possible that there might be some papers around!

[DB7]

I posted a review on the front page a few days ago and maybe the title scenes may give a clue as they are set against a shot of the estate.

[Mark O]

I posted a review on the front page a few days ago and maybe the title scenes may give a clue as they are set against a shot of the estate.

Having had a closer look at the title picture I'm pretty sure the tall stone structure seen in the background at the top right is the Port of London authority building, opposite the Tower of London on Trinity Square, the estate is definitely south of the River Thames at a slight south-easterly angle and looking at a street atlas there's the St. John's estate just to the south of Tooley street, then across the railway line from London Bridge station is the Purbrook estate and the St. Saviour's estate, those three estates maybe worth a look, I feel we're getting warmer!

Link to pic of Port of London authority.........

File:Port of london authority building trinity square.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia