Cult Classics
Not all movies are shot on set in Hollywood - many are filmed right here in the UK. Author Nick Griffiths hunts down the settings of some of our best-loved TV shows and films...
Some years back I visited Cumbria with a friend, seeking
locations from my favourite film, Withnail & I. We dined
upstairs at Crow Crag (actually Sleddale Hall), found the gate the
bull charged through, made calls to our agents from the red phone
box and found Ma Parkin's farmhouse. For such a dedicated Withnail
fan, it was nothing less than thrilling. And there are plenty of
other cult classics to be found across the UK.
Any Harry Potter fans out there? Thought so. From outside Durham
station, catch the number 40 Cathedral bus, then head straight to
the Chapter Office at Durham Cathedral - suddenly, you're in
Professor McGonagall's classroom! Outside, the Cloisters were used
as Hogwarts' corridors, while the central courtyard was the scene
of many a moment, from Harry trudging through the snow with
faithful owl Hedwig to the Slytherin Quidditch team attempting to
scare Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor captain. Alternatively, stop off
at York - the pedestrian bridge at the station is where Hagrid
passes Harry his ticket for the magical Platform 93/4.
Small screen favourites
Travel to the end of the line and you're in Newcastle, or Auf
Wiedersehen, Pet territory. The classic drama about Geordie
builders, pictured below, was written by comedy kings Dick Clement
and Ian La Frenais, and was filmed all around Tyneside. The rail
station itself is where Barry (Timothy Spall) arrived in the city,
ending up confused at a bus stop out front. An eight-minute walk
away is the celebrated bar area, Bigg Market. It's there that
Dennis (Tim Healy) picked up wife, Vicki, in series one. There are
many more locations listed on this website: aufpet.com/tyneside.htm
Travelling south-west again, Manchester is home to the cult
time-travel cop drama Life on Mars, starring John Simm as Sam Tyler
and Philip Glenister as Gene Hunt. The iconic locations - the
Railway Arms, police station and Sam's flat - were all sets, sadly,
but there are dozens of sites still standing. Google 'Life on Mars
filming locations Google Earth', hit the top link - and there they
all are, plotted by an avid fan. Just minutes from the station are
a cluster of filming sites that include Gene Hunt's Cortina drive,
on Baring Street, in the first episode, and the van robbery from
series two, episode two, on Heyrod Street.
Heading north
And so to Scotland, for two cult film classics. One, you may
never have heard of - Restless Natives. If not, track it down
instantly! Pictured above, it's a tale of a wolfman and a clown,
two modern-day outlaws who become local heroes, in the mould of
Gregory's Girl (only better). The brilliant cop chase at the end
was filmed in Edinburgh's Victoria Street, while the iconic city
scenes shown during the end credits include one of Holyrood Park, a
bus ride away on the number 30. You'll find more locations here: scotlandthemovie.com/movies/fnatives.html
Somewhat darker than Restless Natives is the film that launched
Ewan McGregor's career. Trainspotting opened with the lads looting
the John Menzies shop on Princes Street, then scarpering towards
the Calton Road bridge. Most other scenes were filmed in Glasgow,
including the football match: to relive the moment, take the
underground to St George's Cross, then walk to the Firhill Health
Complex on Hopehill Road. You'll find these locations and more at
movie-locations.com/movies/t/trainspotting
Lennon's land
More of a music fan? Nowhere Boy, the 2009 biopic of John
Lennon's formative years, was unsurprisingly shot largely around
his home city of Liverpool. Visiting filming spots can therefore
double up as a mini-pilgrimage in memory of the tragic Beatle,
taking in legendary landmarks such as Strawberry Fields and Penny
Lane - just jump on the number 76 bus towards Halewood from Great
Charlotte Street, disembarking at Penny Lane to walk a short
distance to these immortalised spots. You can even see John's
childhood home on Menlove Avenue, Mendips, although the house you
see in the film is a studio mock-up. The shots of the city's
landmarks, though, are all genuine - so you can walk the streets
trod by Aaron Johnson, pretending to be John Lennon, in the very
places the man himself has walked.
Tempted to go location hunting for yourself? List your favourite
films, do a little internet research and jump on a train. You may
find yourself hooked.
Nick Griffiths is the author of the Doctor Who locations
travel book, Who Goes There.
Born on the network
Loads of film stars have been born and bred in cities and towns
on the First TransPennine Express network. Here are a few of the
biggest names...
Sean Connery
Thomas Sean Connery, 80, was born in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh,
his great-grandparents having emigrated to Scotland from Ireland in
the mid 19th-century. His first job was as a milkman in the
city.
Kim Cattrall
The Sex and the City actress was born in Mossley Hill,
Liverpool, in 1956. The reason you may not detect a Scouse twang
was because her parents emigrated to Canada three months later.
John Thaw
The late, great Sweeney and Inspector Morse actor was born in
Gorton, Manchester, and raised in the Burnage area of the city.
Caroline Aherne (The Royle Family) also hails from Manchester.
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark Bean was born in the Handsworth district of
Sheffield, in 1959. He hoped to play professional football, until
ruled out by injury, and has a tattoo reading '100% Blade' on his
shoulder, citing his love for Sheffield United, who are also known
as The Blades.
Peter O'Toole
The star of Lawrence of Arabia is believed to have been born in
Leeds in 1932, although he also has an Irish birth certificate and
is himself uncertain where exactly he was born! He trained as a
journalist on the Yorkshire Post before switching to acting.