Freeez IOU Video, Then & Now locations
Apr 19, 2020 1:36:52 GMT
Gene Hunt, The Saint, and 9 more like this
Post by Sam Tyler on Apr 19, 2020 1:36:52 GMT
When Del-Boy started his “80s Trends and Fashions” thread >>> HERE <<< he opened it with the following video clip of Freeez – IOU from 1983. As I watched it bought back happy memories but also I realised there were numerous locations that I recognised from around Clerkenwell. Del said he’d often wondered where it was and a quick search on Google indicated that no-one knows where the scenes were shot apart from the large school – which I already knew plus numerous more besides - so I thought I’d map out all external locations and collate them all here.
To start off with here’s the full video again:
Freeez - IOU- 1983
The first four shots are of kids on their BMX bikes apparently flying off of ramps. These are in Sans Walk, EC1R 0AP.
This is by the Schoolkeeper’s entrance to the Kingsway Place School in Sans Walk: >>> Google View <<<
In the above photo the houses to the left are St. James’s Walk and the spire to the right is from the Inspire Saint James Church. Behind the corrugated iron is rough ground that was used as a car park (more later) which has now been built on and the following is the best approximate shot from today >>> Google View <<<
In the same spot with the camera rotated again we see the building with the red window frames which we’ll see again shortly, and the gap between the buildings is a pedestrianised section of Clerkenwell Close >>> Google View <<<
Once again from the same spot with the camera rotated we are looking along Sans Walk to the school main entrance and the houses of St. James’s Walk to the right >>> Google View <<<
We now see one of the kids approaching the end of St. James’s Walk towards Sans Walk with the Kingsway Place School directly ahead >>> Google View <<<
Here he turns right into Sans Walk to approach the studios where Freeez are waiting. In reality he should be turning left for the studios as they are at the other end of Sans Walk. >>> Google View <<<
Back to the corrugated iron now and this is the same section that we saw earlier in the second photo. Correct to the video it is opposite the studio from which Freeez have emerged. Once again built on this is the best approximate view. >>> Google View <<<
Turning a complete 180° on the spot and we see Freeez throwing the demo tapes to the kids from outside the studio door. This is 34 Sans Walk and it can be seen that the ‘A’ from the ‘4A’ in the image is still visible today to the right of the shutter frame. >>> Google View <<<
The kids now leave the studios and go on a very convoluted route to get to their selected ghetto blasters in order to swap the tapes. This first leg is two streets away from the studio in Sekford Street looking back towards Clerkenwell Green. >>> Google View <<<
The building that was on their left in the previous picture is now on their right indicating that they’ve ridden back down Sekford Street and turned once again into St. James’s Walk heading up to Sans Walk again. Here we can see that the shutter doors have been reduced in size in the new build section. >>> Google View <<<
They have now appeared two further roads away on the far side of Kingsway Place having turned into Woodbridge Street from Corporation Row. >>> Google View <<<
Indecisive this lot, they’ve now gone back to Sekford Street and are just a few yards up from where they were previously. >>> Google View <<<
Now we cut to the playground where the ghetto blasters, body-poppers and all-round cool dudes hang out. As well as a kid on a slide. This is in the quadrangle formed by the tenement blocks of the Peabody Estate/Clerkenwell Estate off of Farringdon Road barely 100 metres from the studios. Had the kids cycled to the left instead of right they’d have had a much shorter cycle ride to deliver the tapes. I can’t get a streetview image but the approximate location for the slide is where the red car is parked in the Google image. >>> Google View <<<
We now return to the cyclists and move up to the junction of Corporation Row with Clerkenwell Close where they ride in opposing directions. For the brickwork spotters amongst us (or is that only me?) there is a giveaway that the ‘Then’ wall and the ‘Now’ wall in the link are one and the same. The construction is of an English Bond with alternate courses of headers (short end) and stretchers (long side). On the top picture by the yellow saddle it can be seen that there are two courses of headers without the intermediate course of stretchers. The same can be seen just above the bollard in the ‘Now’ pic. >>> Google View <<<
These kids must be totally lost as they’re now back again in St.James’s Walk heading away from Sans Walk towards Sekford Street. On the left can be seen the car park on the rough ground where we saw the corrugated iron earlier. Today we can see other side of the same buildings. >>> Google View <<<
Back now to the cool dudes and dudesses (is that a word?) in the quadrangle of the Peabody Estate. Once again no streetview but the green doors in the background are now blue behind the white van in the Now view. >>> Google View <<<
The real cool dude checking his Accurist is in front of the tenement block section that can be seen as being above the left of the two arched doorways above the steps. >>> Google View <<<
Cut back to the bikes and they’re still making their way down St. James’s Walk towards Sekford Street and are approaching where they rode back up earlier past the shutter doors. Here is the low level door in the image and the smaller shutters that we saw earlier. >>> Google View <<<
Now the cyclists have got to the end of St. James’s Walk, turned up Sekford Street and now split up at the junction of Sekford Street and Woodbridge Street. Why split up when they all end up at the same playground?. They’ve also gone a long way round to get here as Sans Walk appears on the left into Woodbridge Street. >>> Google View <<<
Time for a broadslide skid and we’re back on the rough ground between Sans Walk and St. James’s Walk with the studios just the other side of the corrugated iron in the background there. I can’t get this shot so proof of where it is lies in the wall to the left and the pier that protrudes from it. This can be seen in the now pic outside the studio’s door, the face of which is now painted dark grey. >>> Google View <<<
Back to the tenement block itself and the unusual stepped window feature showing that the blocks have been built at different levels. Easy to see that the old couple are to the left of the stepped levels and the third window down. >>> Google View <<<
The cyclists have now finally made it to the playground and can set about putting the tapes into the ghetto blasters. This one can be seen in front of the green doors that are now blue and the lowest level window is behind the white van in the Now view. >>> Google View <<<
The next ghetto blaster by the roundabout has its tape inserted and in the background is the steps that are in front of the right hand arched door to the block. >>> Google View <<<
There are a couple more ‘Then’ shots in the playground of different tape players and positions but they are all in very close proximity so there’s no benefit in adding them as yet. If I can ever get down there then I will grab the opportunity to add them but they won’t add anything for now.
Sam.
To start off with here’s the full video again:
Freeez - IOU- 1983
The first four shots are of kids on their BMX bikes apparently flying off of ramps. These are in Sans Walk, EC1R 0AP.
This is by the Schoolkeeper’s entrance to the Kingsway Place School in Sans Walk: >>> Google View <<<
In the above photo the houses to the left are St. James’s Walk and the spire to the right is from the Inspire Saint James Church. Behind the corrugated iron is rough ground that was used as a car park (more later) which has now been built on and the following is the best approximate shot from today >>> Google View <<<
In the same spot with the camera rotated again we see the building with the red window frames which we’ll see again shortly, and the gap between the buildings is a pedestrianised section of Clerkenwell Close >>> Google View <<<
Once again from the same spot with the camera rotated we are looking along Sans Walk to the school main entrance and the houses of St. James’s Walk to the right >>> Google View <<<
We now see one of the kids approaching the end of St. James’s Walk towards Sans Walk with the Kingsway Place School directly ahead >>> Google View <<<
Here he turns right into Sans Walk to approach the studios where Freeez are waiting. In reality he should be turning left for the studios as they are at the other end of Sans Walk. >>> Google View <<<
Back to the corrugated iron now and this is the same section that we saw earlier in the second photo. Correct to the video it is opposite the studio from which Freeez have emerged. Once again built on this is the best approximate view. >>> Google View <<<
Turning a complete 180° on the spot and we see Freeez throwing the demo tapes to the kids from outside the studio door. This is 34 Sans Walk and it can be seen that the ‘A’ from the ‘4A’ in the image is still visible today to the right of the shutter frame. >>> Google View <<<
The kids now leave the studios and go on a very convoluted route to get to their selected ghetto blasters in order to swap the tapes. This first leg is two streets away from the studio in Sekford Street looking back towards Clerkenwell Green. >>> Google View <<<
The building that was on their left in the previous picture is now on their right indicating that they’ve ridden back down Sekford Street and turned once again into St. James’s Walk heading up to Sans Walk again. Here we can see that the shutter doors have been reduced in size in the new build section. >>> Google View <<<
They have now appeared two further roads away on the far side of Kingsway Place having turned into Woodbridge Street from Corporation Row. >>> Google View <<<
Indecisive this lot, they’ve now gone back to Sekford Street and are just a few yards up from where they were previously. >>> Google View <<<
Now we cut to the playground where the ghetto blasters, body-poppers and all-round cool dudes hang out. As well as a kid on a slide. This is in the quadrangle formed by the tenement blocks of the Peabody Estate/Clerkenwell Estate off of Farringdon Road barely 100 metres from the studios. Had the kids cycled to the left instead of right they’d have had a much shorter cycle ride to deliver the tapes. I can’t get a streetview image but the approximate location for the slide is where the red car is parked in the Google image. >>> Google View <<<
We now return to the cyclists and move up to the junction of Corporation Row with Clerkenwell Close where they ride in opposing directions. For the brickwork spotters amongst us (or is that only me?) there is a giveaway that the ‘Then’ wall and the ‘Now’ wall in the link are one and the same. The construction is of an English Bond with alternate courses of headers (short end) and stretchers (long side). On the top picture by the yellow saddle it can be seen that there are two courses of headers without the intermediate course of stretchers. The same can be seen just above the bollard in the ‘Now’ pic. >>> Google View <<<
These kids must be totally lost as they’re now back again in St.James’s Walk heading away from Sans Walk towards Sekford Street. On the left can be seen the car park on the rough ground where we saw the corrugated iron earlier. Today we can see other side of the same buildings. >>> Google View <<<
Back now to the cool dudes and dudesses (is that a word?) in the quadrangle of the Peabody Estate. Once again no streetview but the green doors in the background are now blue behind the white van in the Now view. >>> Google View <<<
The real cool dude checking his Accurist is in front of the tenement block section that can be seen as being above the left of the two arched doorways above the steps. >>> Google View <<<
Cut back to the bikes and they’re still making their way down St. James’s Walk towards Sekford Street and are approaching where they rode back up earlier past the shutter doors. Here is the low level door in the image and the smaller shutters that we saw earlier. >>> Google View <<<
Now the cyclists have got to the end of St. James’s Walk, turned up Sekford Street and now split up at the junction of Sekford Street and Woodbridge Street. Why split up when they all end up at the same playground?. They’ve also gone a long way round to get here as Sans Walk appears on the left into Woodbridge Street. >>> Google View <<<
Time for a broadslide skid and we’re back on the rough ground between Sans Walk and St. James’s Walk with the studios just the other side of the corrugated iron in the background there. I can’t get this shot so proof of where it is lies in the wall to the left and the pier that protrudes from it. This can be seen in the now pic outside the studio’s door, the face of which is now painted dark grey. >>> Google View <<<
Back to the tenement block itself and the unusual stepped window feature showing that the blocks have been built at different levels. Easy to see that the old couple are to the left of the stepped levels and the third window down. >>> Google View <<<
The cyclists have now finally made it to the playground and can set about putting the tapes into the ghetto blasters. This one can be seen in front of the green doors that are now blue and the lowest level window is behind the white van in the Now view. >>> Google View <<<
The next ghetto blaster by the roundabout has its tape inserted and in the background is the steps that are in front of the right hand arched door to the block. >>> Google View <<<
There are a couple more ‘Then’ shots in the playground of different tape players and positions but they are all in very close proximity so there’s no benefit in adding them as yet. If I can ever get down there then I will grab the opportunity to add them but they won’t add anything for now.
Sam.