A Safe House Near London Airport - Smiley's People Location
POSTED BY CHRIS
In the novel Smiley's People, John le Carré writes that Smiley researched at the Circus and planned the operation in a bed-and-breakfast in Pimlico. In the television adaptation, when he meets with Saul Enderby, he requests a safe house. The real location of that safe house is the subject of this article.
John Hopkins wrote the first draft of the screenplay and then, to resolve 'technical difficulties', le Carré wrote the second draft - these difficulties have never been specified. We can surmise that the inclusion of the safe house may have been added to afford more action.
Although the manuscript for the novel resides at the Bodleian Archives we don't know if a copy of the screenplay still exists, so we can't be sure who wrote these scenes.
The scene starts in episode 5 at 17.48 when the Boeing 747 flies into shot. Because the flaps and undercarriage are down, it must be on final approach as it is low and close to the airport.
London is served by several airports but this is probably Heathrow - the airport's runways can accommodate landing at either end depending on the wind direction.
A cursory examination of the map above allows us to discount an approach from the west - Poyle is industrial and Stanwell Moor is too small. The south-east location is possible because housing is nearer to the northernmost runway. This is the area I checked first.
An examination of streetview identified the location as the eastern side of Berkeley Avenue in Cranford. The distinctive air vent seen below confirms this is the property.
At 17.53, Ferguson drives into shot...
First of all, it is branded as Starlight Laundry as that is the cover of the Lamplighter's base at Acton as seen in Tinker Tailor...
Cranford falls under the branch of the laundry based at Watford - the service maintains an establishment at nearby Sarratt.
The van is not a Leyland Sherpa by chance. In 'The Circus' - Inside and Out - Tinker Tailor Locations, we reported that in the old Britmovie forum, 'automotivehistorian' wrote:
'Green MoD plated Leyland Sherpas used to pull up and drop off items and there was an MoD PC on the door'.
The vehicle had a long relationship with the Services, although it might be coincidence that this one appears to have been RAF blue.
The supposition is that the Circus transports documents under the cover of a laundry using their boxes, although the budget doesn't stretch far enough to use anything better than the Sherpa. (I spent many years driving Sherpas - not quite as old as Ferguson's but at best they were basic, servo assisted brakes and certainly no power steering.)
Thanks to Control's original research of Alec Guinness’s diaries at the British Library I was able to locate the safe house.
As Control wrote:
I went home, typed everything up and sent it straight over to Chris. From just one or two of Guinness's squiggles Chris has been able to piece together the clues to find previously unknown locations...
One of those squiggles led to this location:
As with Stella and William's house it was a matter of using aerial and streetview images to locate a house on the right part of a street with a chimney on the end, a lamp post and the right layout of windows and shutters. Then I needed to identify similar features like the wall and gate and to discount alterations such as the removal of the shutters, the installation of PVCu windows and the building of the extension. When the extension was built, presumably, the privet hedge was removed and the porch was changed. The shutters were removed whereas they were retained next door...
At 18.33, whilst Ferguson is at the front door, out on the street a passer-by and postman are seen. Perhaps they are members of Esterhase's lamplighters, discretely enhancing security given the classification of the contents of the boxes?
Behind Ferguson we see the house opposite and can use its details to further substantiate the location, with reference to contemporary street views.
The interiors were filmed in the same house...
Left to right: Millie McCraig (Julia McCarthy) Toby Esterhase, Smiley and Guillam played by Michael Byrne.
Readers of the novels will know Millie McCraig from Tinker Tailor (housekeeper of the Lock Gardens safe house) but she was new to those of us that started with the television adaptations. At Dial House, by way of introduction, Smiley told Enderby that she was his best housekeeper.
We also glimpse in the background (below), the hard work of someone in Austen Sprigg's art department.
One of the reasons that I like these scenes so much is the realism, and the humour. With 'The Fall' behind them and the opportunity to employ their underused skills, Esterhase and Guillam rib each other about costs. Then Smiley's Karla papers arrive from ‘The Registry’ and there's the photograph of Karla. (GUARD means don't show it to the Americans.)
Control's examination of Guinness's diary tells us that this scene was filmed on the 29th of November 1981, and for those familiar with Smiley's People in some territories, that's all you see of the London airport safe house. However, those who watched it originally in the UK will know that there's another scene later in episode 5 that offers more detail for the location enthusiast.
On screen, Smiley dines with Lacon and then sees Ann before returning to the safe house where the planning has been completed.
At 29.49, we see Guillam destroying the evidence.
I can't identify what the blurred image is in the foreground. I thought it might have been a fence, but it must be at the location where the extension is now. Control has identified below all the buildings seen in the above shot.
Indoors, Ferguson shakes hands with Smiley...
...and Guillam tells Smiley that he can't go with him as he's not deniable enough. Vladimir's incriminating negative, having served its purpose, is no longer needed and, heavy with meaning, Guillam lends Smiley his lighter.
From here the action cuts abruptly to Berne.
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