Look Back in Anger

[Christopher Matheson]

Hello there,



As far as I can tell 'Look Back in Anger' was filmed in the London area so I imagine this park and statue is in London too. Does anyone recognize this scene?







Thank you,

Christopher Matheson

[Mark O]

Difficult one there Chistopher, if it was filmed in London it could be at one of the large Cemetarys, i'm looking on my A to Z at Brompton Cemetary as there's a School adjoining, but it's unlikely the portakabins as seen in the pic are still in use, plus that may be Lillie Road power station, could be worth a from above google.......

[RAGLAN]

Dear Sir
I am about to start making a scale model of Harvist Road, Islington where the protagonists lived. It was tragically demolished in the sixties. I have spent some time also on the net trying to locate the whereabouts of this statue. I was wondering how you managed to create this image - I have the dvd and would very much like to create similar images of Harvist Road to work from for the model.
Best wishes
Brian

[zettel45]

IMDB says some of it was filmed in St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Harrow Road, Kensal Green, London. So that might be worth investigating.

[RAGLAN]

Many thanks indeed for the tip. I'll keep the thread informed.
Regards
Brian

[RAGLAN]

Just remembered that the tending of the grave scene was fimed at Kensal Green Cemy. The statue was elsewhere.
Thanks anyway.
Brian

[Christopher Matheson]

I must admit that I had forgotten that I had asked this question. However, since than I have discovered that the statue shows Henry Fawcett in Vauxhall Park. Oddly enough the statue was removed, sometime in the 1960s, and its whereabouts remain unknown. Obviously this is far from Harvist Road so I imagine, Brian, that you will not be incorporating it into your model. I made the screen grab using, so my daughter tells me, the 'Dashboard' feature on a Mac. I hope this helps.

[wadey]

Friends of Vauxhall Park
Henry Fawcett (1833-1884) lived at No 8 The Lawn. It was Fawcett's special wish to form a park on the site. Fawcett was a Member of Parliament, an educational reformer, and an economist. He became blind at the age of 25 when his father's shot gun accidentally discharged whilst they were partridge shooting. This mishap did not stop him becoming Postmaster General. During his time he inaugurated the parcel post, improved the system for postal orders, the Savings Bank and insurance. He also did much to encourage the Post Office to employ women.


It was Fawcett's special wish to form a park on the site of his home so after his death in 1884, his widow Millicent Fawcett co-operated with Octavia Hill and the Kyrle Society in the formation of the Park.

More importantly Doulton donated a statue of Henry Fawcett and this was erected on the site of his house. It was modelled by the sculptor George Tinworth (1843 -1913) and made at Doulton's Lambeth factory. Tinworth was noted for his reliefs so it is not surprising that the statue stood on a pedestal with relief panels depicting Justice, Good and Bad News, Sympathy, Courage, Truth, India and the Post Office. It was unveiled on 7th June 1893 by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Unfortunately the statute was removed in the 1960s but its head is reportedly preserved in the Henry Fawcett Junior School.

Henry Fawcett Primary School Clayton Street entrance:: OS grid TQ3177 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square! (Photo of the school)

Until 1967 (1971?) Vauxhall Park was the largest park owned by Lambeth Borough Council and traditionally a floral badge was planted every summer near the South Lambeth Road entrance.

Many thanks to History - 2

What a man and what a great thread

[wadey]

Cabinet minister Jack Straw's son has hit back after he was sacked as a governor of a London school.

Will Straw, who was a former pupil at the school, Henry Fawcett Primary in Kennington, was one of 12 governors removed by Lambeth council amid concerns over financial management and poor teaching.

He said it had been "very traumatic" and defended his record as a governor.

He also rejected being labelled a "drug pusher" after fresh criticism over his exposure in the media for attempting to buy cannabis while at school.

Oxford graduate Mr Straw, 29, became a voluntary governor at the school in 2004. He has spent much of the past two years in the United States studying for a masters degree and working for a Washington think tank.

Comments posted on the Standard website questioned why he was allowed to remain a governor while in America and whether he was simply retained for his "high-profile name".

Jack Straw's son: Sacking as school governor traumatic | News

[RAGLAN]

Dear Christopher and Mr Wadey
Thank you both so much for taking the trouble to add such great information to this fascinating thread. What a lovely statue - what a great shame. As I progress with the model of Harvist Road I would very much like to keep the thread going with photographs and any discoveries relating to this once charming and elegant location.
Many thanks for the techno tip Christopher. Thank you for starting this thread.
Kind Regards
Brian.

[wadey]

Funny how some threads lead you into all sorts of areas you would never have explored, great stuff, don't know if these are of any use

9 Photos of [Harvist Road] , within 10km of London, City of London :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!

[RAGLAN]

Many thanks indeed for the link Wadey. All such information is most gratefully received. I cut the baseboard for the model today - no going back now.

[isbright]

Hi Guys,

Here are the results of some research I've done. Enjoy!

Image 1: 1875 Map


The Lawns is the road running top to bottom roughly left of centre. No 8 is the bottom (most southerly) house. Lawn Lane runs left to right just below the top of the image and Fentiman Road runs left to mid-bottom.

Image 2: 1895 Map


20 years later The Lawns and all its houses have gone and Vauxhall Park occupies the area. Where The Lawns ran (top to bottom) is now a pathway within the park. Where no. 8 was is now the location of the Henry Fawcett statue. The laundry in Lawn Lane is most probably the building forming the background to the original image in this thread.

Image 3: 1970 Map


75 years on and the statue is gone from the landscape and maps. Bowling greens and a tennis court have appeared with the loss of many trees. Modern London is developing all around the park.

Image 4: The Present - Looking North


The buildings on Lawn Lane have seen many changes, but the window layout appears to have remained intact from the time 'Look Back In Anger' was filmed.

Image 5: The Present - Looking South


Of the statue's plinth or base there appears to be no trace.

Image 6: The Present - Lawn Lane Buildings


The buildings on the north side of Lawn Lane (centre to middle right) that feature in the original thread image.

Image 7: The Present - Site of the Statue


This view looks north through the park railings in Fentiman Road. On the right is the chain-link fence of the tennis court (behind the parking restrictions sign). The pathway leading from the middle distance to the fence in the far background runs where The Lawns was located. Where there are a patch of red flowers to the right of this (partially obscured by a tree) is the rough location of where the statue was sited.

Hope this all helps.

Regards, Ian.

[RAGLAN]

Great thorough work Ian - thank you - how marvellous is the web for such research.
Not sure how to post photos but the above is a URL for an image of the statue. Any help with posting photos would be most welcome.

[wadey]

Thanks Ian. The Lawns must have been a very posh row of houses with gardens !

[isbright]

Thanks all.

Another labour of love. I am indebted to the following for their (unknowing) help:
Old-Maps.co.uk, Bing Maps, and Google StreetView.

Please also note that where I have said 'The Lawns' I actually meant 'The Lawn'. Please excuse this error.

Regards, Ian.

[RAGLAN]

Dear All
Apologies for the delay. Here's a photo of my scratchbuilt 1:144 model of Harvist Road (before it was tragically demolished) North Terrace - frontage - together with some screenshots from the film which are my only reference - apart from an old map. Have done front doors and curtains since photo was taken. Please try to ignore the temp. elastic bands. Soon be able to fix frontage to baseboard then I'll do the innards with lights. Will keep you posted. Looking forward to doing St. Barnabas' Church.
Regards
Brian

[wadey]

Amazing, well done

[RAGLAN]

Glad you approve.
Regards
Brian