In 1983 my wife and I were searching for a house with land to run a small holding within driving distance of Heathrow. We were sent the details of a nursery near Basingstoke, a house with a few acres. The house was a single skinned concrete bungalow with various derelict greenhouses with obsolete heating boilers. At the back of the plot the owners daughter proudly showed us a long raised area of grass which she said was the original filming location for “Oh Mr Porter”. The location, along with a freezing bungalow and a long, collapsing wooden shed filled with 1930/40’s cars has always stayed with me. In 1983 the outline of the platform was still obvious above the track level. Thank you for taking me on a trip back.
As a history and railway enthusiast as well as a mechanical and narrow gauge engineer, if that were my land the whole lot would be completely rebuilt, restored and relaid as far as my boundaries allowed! Great video and as a local resident to the start of the start of the original Basingstoke to Alton light railway hope to walk the line myself with some friends in the new year. Top job!
Video made with great interest, a pity the site has been decimated, if I owed the land my first act would be to get rid of that ugly tennis court, then dig up all the original platforms and bring the site back to its former glory, even if it means rebuilding the station, but alas this Britain where most people do not give a damn.
Really enjoyed this. Shame more hasn't survived. As you said in the film some locations barely or don't exist anymore. I always think one of the biggest mistakes was demolishing the antiques shop from Blow Up! Surely a potential tourist attraction?
A real Momento Mori. A reminder that chasing the past is ridiculous. A landscape changes so much in 80 years, what chance do we have of really knowing the distant past? Thank goodness that we have had photography and film for the last 150 years. That's such a tiny time. isn't it?
"Oh Mr Porter" Filmed in 1937. This expedition shot in 2011, watched in 2023. Kind of a shame that so little is left, but at the same time, fascinating that as much remains as it does. I imagine the site has looked much like it does now, since shortly after the movie was filmed. The coincidence of me having watched this movie just a month or so ago, and running across this video now, so I knew the references, is amusing to me. My grandfather was working on the railroad in Colorado in 1937, and many of the places he worked have vanished just as thoroughly. The only thing left of the town of Galatea, Colorado, was the level crossing across the still working rail, and a sign at the crossing. The rest is empty field, you can't even tell where the streets were anymore. The coal chute my grandad worked on was still standing in the 1970's in Ordway, but came down a decade or so later. Thanks for s fascinating little pair of videos!
I think a lottery grant is required and a preservation society formed to rebuild the site again. Does anyone know what the locomotives use in the film were? Obviously, I know Silver Link was an A4.
The house on Station rd. look a bit like the houses in “ Ask a policeman” when they’re setting the speed trap. Will have to find the movie and compare. Enjoyed the video, great work.
if i had a spare ten million quid to spare, i would buy all the land and rebuild it all back to look like the origanal station ect. i can dream cant i? . cheers 4 the videos
I went a few years back possibly 10 and it was very easy to find just by looking at a road map. Standing in the lane just looked over the fence from where the level crossing was in the film and all the flag stones for the platform edge were still in situ though level with the ground. I wonder who removed them a great shame.
In 1987 I stayed at a b&b in cliddesden as I was about to start a job at the AA in Basingstoke nearby. The landlady told me that the platform was not far away in the woods adjacent. I went exploring and indeed it was less than 100 yards in. It was overgrown with mosses, weeds and trees but it was obvious especially as I had to drop a few feet from the hard mossy platform down to where the rails had been.
Again very very interesting ,, love the before and after shots and the old film edited in ,,, I was hoping there was some more of your investigations on film ,,,, but none caught my eye,,,, great stuff many many thanks ,,, best regards Alan
Thanks for the vid, takes me back to about 1970 when myself and my mate Ernie were about 14 and after seeing the film got an old os map and went from Crondall to hunt out Cliddesden st. on our bicycles and found it. The platform was quite visible and the signal box was about one course of brick high. I moved to Wales and a few years ago met a lady whose father owned a property and station was on their land before they moved up here sometime in the 70's I think it was.
It looks to me like the gate wheel might of been just a prop, because the gates look like manual gates plus it made for one of the best jokes in the film.
It would save you so much time and footwork if you simply superimposed a current OS Map of the area onto a map from the period you're searching. Why is it such a mystery to seek something today that was only there seventy years before? You're not digging up Egyptian mummies! Try looking at www.old-maps.co.uk/#/, and there are many others including seamless overlays from OS themselves. It won't solve everything, but will give you a framework and positive markers to work from, which you can plot on a current map, and give you reference points from which to take photos or shoot video for those 'then and now' shots.
Fascinating piece of detective work. Many thanks are due to the current owner who kindly allowed you to access the land. Well done, lads!!
In 1983 my wife and I were searching for a house with land to run a small holding within driving distance of Heathrow. We were sent the details of a nursery near Basingstoke, a house with a few acres. The house was a single skinned concrete bungalow with various derelict greenhouses with obsolete heating boilers. At the back of the plot the owners daughter proudly showed us a long raised area of grass which she said was the original filming location for “Oh Mr Porter”. The location, along with a freezing bungalow and a long, collapsing wooden shed filled with 1930/40’s cars has always stayed with me. In 1983 the outline of the platform was still obvious above the track level. Thank you for taking me on a trip back.
Wonderful stuff! Thanks for posting this amazing find and video!
I love these will hay film can't beat them very funny good old British humour and fun
As a history and railway enthusiast as well as a mechanical and narrow gauge engineer, if that were my land the whole lot would be completely rebuilt, restored and relaid as far as my boundaries allowed! Great video and as a local resident to the start of the start of the original Basingstoke to Alton light railway hope to walk the line myself with some friends in the new year. Top job!
Video made with great interest, a pity the site has been decimated, if I owed the land my first act would be to get rid of that ugly tennis court, then dig up all the original platforms and bring the site back to its former glory, even if it means rebuilding the station, but alas this Britain where most people do not give a damn.
I agree 100% I would love to see it back to its original state..
That was awesome, I only just watched Oh Mr. Porter last week. This was a great video loved it. Fascinating
Yeah great work done to locate this area really enjoyed you're post thank you for posting this gem love will hays films he was a comic genius....
Really enjoyed this. Shame more hasn't survived. As you said in the film some locations barely or don't exist anymore. I always think one of the biggest mistakes was demolishing the antiques shop from Blow Up! Surely a potential tourist attraction?
Great detective work.
Lovely, but sad to see it nearly all gone.
Excellent detective work.
A real Momento Mori. A reminder that chasing the past is ridiculous. A landscape changes so much in 80 years, what chance do we have of really knowing the distant past? Thank goodness that we have had photography and film for the last 150 years. That's such a tiny time. isn't it?
It's a shame there's not much of anything left, but I suppose if it was all still there it would be too easy.
"The gate opening?"
"No."
"Opening now?"
"No."
"That wheel don't work"
@@jamesgraham679 "You have to lift the gate off its hinges."
"What!?"
@@reddevil9554"Well you see it's like this" "If you had a drain and rabbit went down it, what would you do?"....... send for the plumber
OOo Mr Porter what a funny man you were :)
Great to see were oh Mr Poter was filmed. Wish it was still part of the rail network. Very interesting and informative. Well done.
"Oh Mr Porter" Filmed in 1937.
This expedition shot in 2011, watched in 2023.
Kind of a shame that so little is left, but at the same time, fascinating that as much remains as it does.
I imagine the site has looked much like it does now, since shortly after the movie was filmed.
The coincidence of me having watched this movie just a month or so ago, and running across this video now, so I knew the references, is amusing to me.
My grandfather was working on the railroad in Colorado in 1937, and many of the places he worked have vanished just as thoroughly.
The only thing left of the town of Galatea, Colorado, was the level crossing across the still working rail, and a sign at the crossing.
The rest is empty field, you can't even tell where the streets were anymore.
The coal chute my grandad worked on was still standing in the 1970's in Ordway, but came down a decade or so later.
Thanks for s fascinating little pair of videos!
Wonderful video thank you so much. Those Railway Cottages have been altered and new builds added but, probably date from 1880 to 1900,
I think a lottery grant is required and a preservation society formed to rebuild the site again. Does anyone know what the locomotives use in the film were? Obviously, I know Silver Link was an A4.
The house on Station rd. look a bit like the houses in “ Ask a policeman” when they’re setting the speed trap. Will have to find the movie and compare. Enjoyed the video, great work.
So it's true... Joe _does_ walk the track with a sack on his back! Is his ear-'ole painted green?
Blimey you’re doing this video with old one eyed Joe. Remember, he haunts the mill, he haunts the stream & the land that lies between! 😂
if i had a spare ten million quid to spare, i would buy all the land and rebuild it all back to look like the origanal station ect. i can dream cant i? . cheers 4 the videos
Brilliantly done. Yet I found it quite sad to watch. Such a shame that so little exists.
I went to Cliddesden when my spouts where nippers found sweet f a. You guys are tops.
My father was born in Cillensden in 1922
I went a few years back possibly 10 and it was very easy to find just by looking at a road map. Standing in the lane just looked over the fence from where the level crossing was in the film and all the flag stones for the platform edge were still in situ though level with the ground. I wonder who removed them a great shame.
In 1987 I stayed at a b&b in cliddesden as I was about to start a job at the AA in Basingstoke nearby. The landlady told me that the platform was not far away in the woods adjacent. I went exploring and indeed it was less than 100 yards in. It was overgrown with mosses, weeds and trees but it was obvious especially as I had to drop a few feet from the hard mossy platform down to where the rails had been.
Again very very interesting ,, love the before and after shots and the old film edited in ,,, I was hoping there was some more of your investigations on film ,,,, but none caught my eye,,,, great stuff many many thanks ,,, best regards Alan
very many thanks.
Fabulous, thanks guys
Excellent
Thanks for the vid, takes me back to about 1970 when myself and my mate Ernie were about 14 and after seeing the film got an old os map and went from Crondall to hunt out Cliddesden st. on our bicycles and found it. The platform was quite visible and the signal box was about one course of brick high. I moved to Wales and a few years ago met a lady whose father owned a property and station was on their land before they moved up here sometime in the 70's I think it was.
sad to see that there is no memory of the film marked at the location in some form.
WE'RE HOME!! BUGGLESKKELLY!!
wow thanks for that now im going to watch the film one more time he he .
I enjoyed that Thanks for posting
It looks to me like the gate wheel might of been just a prop, because the gates look like manual gates plus it made for one of the best jokes in the film.
Peter Gurney obviously when there is fishing line holding it there. plain as day you could see it. and it wouldn't wobble like that in real life.
@@jimajams7080
There was no signalbox either the film company built it
Thanks for the video
Great research!
Excellent video :)
google maps
Where was Cliddesden Station please?
It was on the Basingstoke to Alton line near the town of Cliddesden
It would save you so much time and footwork if you simply superimposed a current OS Map of the area onto a map from the period you're searching. Why is it such a mystery to seek something today that was only there seventy years before? You're not digging up Egyptian mummies! Try looking at www.old-maps.co.uk/#/, and there are many others including seamless overlays from OS themselves. It won't solve everything, but will give you a framework and positive markers to work from, which you can plot on a current map, and give you reference points from which to take photos or shoot video for those 'then and now' shots.
great film with will hay and good to see where it was made great work lads