THE SWEENEY Filming Locations - Kensal and North Kensington

Hard men and Faces abound as we travel the Sweeney streets from Kensal to North Kensington - bumping into assorted other dodgy characters as we go.
There's a load to get through in this video so I do rabbit on ten to the dozen at times; but remember there will also be a 'companion guide' of side-by-side still shots to go with it at some point, for those that prefer to contemplate the details in peace :)
I appreciate your patience waiting for these 'full' videos to arrive; this channel is very much a passion-project that I do my best to fit in around my 'normal' working and family life.
Thanks as always for the support, & hope you enjoy it!

[@fredbloggs8072]

Colin Welland & George Sewell. The show had some outstanding guest stars.

[@thatguyfromcetialphaV]

Okay SWEENEY!!!!!!

[@Sweenealogy]

The show was a real "who's who" of great British acting talent. Just one of its many strengths.

[@daz4643]

@@thatguyfromcetialphaV "Earlsfield they said it was close to the cemetery".... "Were all close to that kid" 😂Welland's best line in that episode.

[@thatguyfromcetialphaV]

@@daz4643 As a kid I preferred The Professionals. As I got older The Sweeney's better plots and sparkling dialogue puts it a cut above.

[@daz4643]

@thatguyfromcetialphaV As a fan of both I know what you mean.

[@Azimuth8687]

Made my day when this popped up in my notifications. Oh to be able to wander around 70's derelict London. Massive thanks, again.

[@MartianTom]

@paulking8235 I published a short story a few years back, set on a derelict site in 1970s Battersea, where I grew up. About kids making a den. Can send you a copy if you like.

[@Azimuth8687]

@@MartianTom That's kind of you, thanks very much.

[@martinnorth2680]

I dont know how much time you spend researching, filming and editing these, but its worth every second many times over.

[@Sweenealogy]

Thank you :) The answer is, "a lot"!

[@PresidentGerard]

An absolutely fantastic episode thank you. The research and planning that goes into this channel output is well deserving of an award. It is simply superb.

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks, really appreciate the comments :)

[@dr.plutonus1496]

A terrific new dollop of Sweeneology is a great way to start the weekend 😁

[@Sweenealogy]

Happy weekend :) Glad you enjoyed it.

[@jeniferallan6693]

Fantastic stuff. You are right. A classic mug of tea and a hearty breakfast in that cafe. Oh England, my Lionheart.

[@CovRealist]

Excellent mate. Thanks for your time and effort. 👍🏻

[@gloomyvale3671]

Excellent post, I always dreaded the superb end theme of the show as it was bed time as a kid. The chemistry between Dennis Waterman and John Thaw was electric they knew how to write characters years ago, same with Minder and the Professionals.

[@spidyman8853]

Yea absolutely - Long gone great writers.

[@jasonhall4734]

Thank you again. Best British program ever made. I grew up in vauxhall and battersea, and lived in shepherd's Bush, big sweeney country.

[@fuTuRo-Sonic]

Thanks so much for these and please keep them coming. For the last 10 years or so I rewatch the entire Sweeney collection every year. It's not just an appreciation of the trailblazing cinematography, the brilliant performances from the cast or the great writing, it is to see London, my London, the way it was when I was a teenager and living there around a lot of the locations that were used. I would frequently recognise a location and then "street view" how it has changed...your excellent videos have now stopped that! I love what you are doing here and how you are slowly developing your photography and narration skills to make really entertaining, humorous and informative vids. I offer you much encouragement and many thanks for what you have already achieved...keep going!

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks so much :) Yes - Streetview is a great tool, and something I use often in my research.

[@StarBoyyX]

I do that and I’m mid 30s 🤝

[@bucko321]

Very interesting for Sweeney fans, a good bit of detective work, Jack would be proud of. The car chase scenes filmed on old factory premises will be difficult to locate. Imo

[@Sweenealogy]

Yeah, some of those big old gas / chemical works are either long gone - or if they do still exist, are sites you'd have no [legal] way of accessing - so agreed they'd be hard to film.

[@CovRealist]

I went on a Sweeney Locations Tour on Sunday, I informed at least 3 people of this channel who didn’t know about it, so hopefully you will have some new viewers and an wider appreciation of the time and effort you put in to bring us these videos. Thank-you. 👍🏻

[@Sweenealogy]

Thank you, that's much appreciated :) Hope you enjoyed the locations tour!

[@rrbh]

I could go didlo and watch these on a never ending loop ! You have a great eye for detail.

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks - glad you like them!

[@indigohammer5732]

As a Glaswegian, I can confirm that Hogmahghanddy (Gaelic Spelling) is taken very seriously and wholly embraced by the community at large. Although it’s relevance has dwindled over time. Love your work

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks for putting the local stamp of authority on that one :)

[@PaulRoseGuitar]

There's a real reflective sadness to the music of the closing credits. Can't put my finger on it, but it's kind of a crime doesn't pay vibe, but Reagan and Carter still have to deal with the brutal futility of it all. It's phenomenal.

[@gwpee1727]

The Sweeney on ITV 4 this afternoon, then your video this evening, what's not to like

[@paulnolan1352]

Where’s Popeye?, he didn’t make it mr Reagan.

[@markcf83]

A perfect afternoon's viewing.....

[@nordic1121]

As others have said great work, it just goes to show how popular that police drama was. You certainly ‘ know thy subject ‘ . Monday nights at 9pm in the seventies was great, so I salute you for showing us all the locations then and now.

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@thatguyfromcetialphaV]

George Sewell. He was one of those guys who just looked hard without trying to act like it. Trellick Tower was in several episodes of The Professionals as well.

[@Sweenealogy]

Agree; George Sewell had that air about him where he wouldn't even have to say a word or raise a hand - you'd know from just a look that you were in bother if you crossed him. Great actor.

[@markcf83]

Trellick Tower features in the episode The Madness of Mickey Hamilton. As for George Sewell,he was a brilliant actor.

[@Spiderwebsider]

Mate, your efforts are really appreciated. I absolutely love these little insights. I left London only a few years after The Sweeney had finished, so I remember it as it was back in the super sleazy sexy seventies when the series was filmed. Cheers from Sydney Australia.

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks! It's London as I remember it from my youth; and sometimes (often, even) as I wish it still was...

[@DrDSCT]

Alec Norton, James Cosmo and Dennis Waterman - fantastic actors. I always love the way the Granada 2.8 injection S hesitates to start at the station when they pick up James Cosmo before it roars in to life.

[@moose6509]

I´ve never lived in London but absolutely love The Sweeney. I also crave the 70´s so your content is nectar for me. Thanks so much.

[@Steve-gc5nt]

Hard Men is one of my favourite episodes. Thanks for your efforts on this. 👌

[@Sweenealogy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@wirksworthsrailway]

These are sublime and it's lovely to know that you and so many of us still adore The Sweeney.

[@PaulabJohnson]

Another great episode - thanks! As you can see from the comments there are a lot of us who as Sweeney fans love to see the locations then and now. I've lived in London since 2000 and in that time alone it's changed massively.. getting the train in from Richmond to Waterloo daily I can see all the trackside light industrial units in Wandswoth have been turned into flats - in some ways it's remarkable that quite so much that was shpwn in the Sweeney has actually survived!. What is noticeable is how pretty much any form of light industry has disappeared to be replaced by the ubiquitous blocks of flats. I wonder if people were having the same conversations around the turn of the 19th century!

[@andrewyork5620]

Thanks for another great video. These are so enjoyable to watch and looking forward to the next installment. Long live The Sweeney!!

[@iancastledine7284]

Thanks yet again... wonderful, I agree with your comments re London and the feel of the place, the buildings etc... I think I preferred it back then, everywhere is so beautified and cluttered now

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks - glad you enjoyed it :)

[@threethymes]

Fascinating documentary with an eloquent commentary.

[@user-mz6ez2bd8q]

I absolutely love these. Loads of Sweeeeeeeney memories. Keep them coming 🙂

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks! Will do my best.

[@bucksboatanchors3328]

Another brilliant collection of scenes.....excellent job and thanks. Loving the "sartorial splendour" of Jellyneck......people don't dress that way often enough these days. 🙂 What great times with loads of wasteland, abandoned buildings and big Fords tearing about....no 20mph zones there.

[@Sweenealogy]

Many thanks!

[@asdeaff]

It's with melancholy that I view the Westway in the background of the last scene, having left behind a London life and people of whom I have very fond memories. I'm sure that one day I'll return to explore the places I lived and perhaps even bump into someone with whom I once shared laughter and jokes, all those years ago.

[@skdinterceptor2828]

Great video....i remember the sweeney as a child in the 70s.

[@seanytobs]

Brilliant as usual! Thanks 👍

[@BrianMurfitt]

Hi there I've just stumbled across your channel, watched it and enjoyed it immensely, so I've subscribed. Besides enjoying your content I also enjoyed your commentary and I agree although somethings were run down in the 70s, it was definitely cleaner and there was far less litter and graffiti was rare, just some political slogans not all the Urban nonsense you get these days. One thing I say has improved is there a lot more plants and trees planted in parks and streets and more environmental awareness. You're right the old crumbling buildings nay have not looked particularly pleasant, but they gave the City a whole lot more character. What also made me laugh is when you said 'No he's a Jock not a Mick'. You wouldn't be able to get away with these days! 👍🎦😆

[@Sweenealogy]

Well I hope I more or less did get away with it :) (I know what you mean though; every time I do a commentary I have to check back through it and think to myself, "now who might I have upset here..." To be honest, I don't think anyone - certainly from our era - would take offense, and certainly none was intended.

[@BrianMurfitt]

@@Sweenealogy No don't take it seriously I was just winding you up. All I meant was if you said it in every day conversation or in so called polite company, you'd definitely get plenty of raised eyebrows, but not our generation. It was funny and wistful to hear those terms used again, rarely do you hear it anymore. 😆🤗

[@Sweenealogy]

@@BrianMurfitt Yes all good mate (that's why I put a :) - but it's very hard these days to tell when someone is being serious online...) As you say - most people in those days would take words with a pinch of salt - you'd know if someone was actually intending offense by the tone of voice or the expression. Nowadays people can't wait to tell you how upset they are about every word they see written anywhere... :p

[@21whosonthethrone]

Nice one Guvnor👌👍👍

[@Sweenealogy]

Cheers!

[@Stephen.C.]

That was great. They get better and better. Thanks.

[@xr6lad]

Excellent viewing on this Friday night just before bed (in Melbourne, Australia). Recognised some of those areas on my travels myself (even a fan of those ‘I saw you coming sketches’).

[@PaddyWV]

It's a stunning thought how much derelict land there was in London in the Seventies. Much of it left over from wartime bombing. If you srand still in London for too long these days someone will pin a planning notice on you!

[@Sweenealogy]

Hah - so true!

[@yensabi]

Another great video with locations near to where I live , I loved the 70’s… Cheers 👍

[@gregorylawson8346]

Once again, a superlative presentation of our favourite show. Thank you. I also like your appreciation of brutalist architecture. As do I. They built them in, say, 1970, thinking this is how we would live in 1995. It was the future.

[@gaugeonesteam]

Great stuff! The Sweeney was a such a great TV series. I particularly liked the "Incidental" music. a bit of percussion, electric piano and bass guitar. that added a lot of tension to the whole thing.

[@Sweenealogy]

Yeah, the music was great. Much of it was "library music" that they chose to fit the scene, but whomever it was did a great job - as you say, really ratchets up the tension in the right places. There's a CD out, "Shut It! The Music of The Sweeney" - highly recommended if you haven't already got a copy.

[@haydoncooper3744]

Brilliant thank you for posting.

[@edwardburek1717]

Fantastic video, meticulously researched. Indeed, this is worthy of the Flying Squad itself.

[@Sweenealogy]

Much appreciated!

[@ap5824]

Welcome Back , Fantastic Mate.

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks! I do these as quickly as I can - but they take a bit of time and effort in and around my day job, family life etc. Appreciate your patience :)

[@boker3]

These videos are absolutely brilliant. Just to add - the Venus Restaurant can be seen in the video for Madness's "Return of the Los Palmas 7", including the interior with shots of the regulars and some bangin' fry-ups!

[@Sweenealogy]

Nice! I'm going to go and look for that video in a sec.

[@mirvids5036]

Nice work. Makes me cringe now when The Sweeney is on, neutered, at 7:45 in the mornings. Used to go to school in the morning after the latest episode and we'd all shout SWEENEY and have a fight ! Bring back London town. By the way, some of the old, wrecked plots were still remnants of the war. I totally agree with your sentiments about how those places looked and felt.

[@jeffsparey9585]

They destroyed the pubs when they gave into the supermarkets money and allowed them to sell alcohol,,it caused the closure of all off licenses aswel ,then the smoking ban topped it off

[@lawrencehomer5682]

Absolutely brilliant as usual..I also totally agree about the old and abandoned buildings. I think they often gave the period its identity and feeling. Literally cannot wait for next episode ps Hard Men in my top 3 episodes

[@Sweenealogy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MartianTom]

Agree about the junk and litter you see now. The huge upsurge of fast-food joints since then - plus the effects of a throw-away society. People lose their sense of history and common respect for their environment and each other. Great times they were, back then. Tough, but still better. Another great vid.

[@nickhaag7803]

Brilliant stuff. Thanks for doing this, the best thing on KZbin!

[@Sweenealogy]

Thank you :)

[@alantheskinhead]

Another excellent video of a by-gone era. I can clearly remember my late father and my still alive 90 year old mother letting me run riot around the old bomb sites in Whitechapel and Commercial Road. She lived on Turner Road just off Commercial Road and that was lettered with old board up housing. Now it's all sterile flats. What young kids don't realise even now that it was only up until recently that large swathes of London were basically bomb sites and full of derelict buildings often with no roofs. My Auntie Daisy lived "out west" as we called it and she never left the Paddington or "The West" for 86 years other than a trip to my parents other house in Leicester for three days! We used to visit her and her late husband was a proper hard man docker who alas got killed in a train shunting accident in Wapping. I could babble on the old days, but now I am suffering an attack of nostalgia again. If you are going to do a documentary on 70's London sites do it in a proper geezer sweeney accent! These videos are just utterly legendary and keep The Sweeney alive along with the Old Smoke!

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks so much for the comments & the great recollections from back when :)

[@DarkStar-wu9nq]

Your filming skills are absolutely superb - I watch a few like this with films and other programmes and you are by far the clearest and best filmer of the lot Sweeney is my favourite Thanks for doing this it’s much appreciated

[@Sweenealogy]

Wow, thank you!

[@rd250dx1978]

Thanks for all your hard work. 👍👍

[@alunsworth6792]

Brilliant!!! Hard Men possibly my favourite episode.... electric soup.... Waiting for your episode on Night Out.... super! Thank you

[@Sweenealogy]

I've been to The Warrington taking still photos, but definitely need to go back with the video gear. It's on the (admittedly long) list!

[@CycolacFan]

Lovely work. I barely recognise certain areas of London anymore, it’s changed so much and so fast.

[@speakertreatz]

thanks very much for uploading

[@cielobuio]

Thanks for another great episode.

[@PaulRoseGuitar]

Brilliant, keep em coming. Tasty geezers...

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks, will do!

[@stulincoln4874]

Loved the Sweeney, love your films. Great work mate, keep em coming.

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks, will do!

[@bostaffterrier7293]

Fantastic.....God do i love the 70s everything seemed to be gearing up for the best decade ever the 80s

[@Grrr2048]

Great job!, I remember the title sequence has the underpass of the west way flyover just by little venice

[@blueshed-oq7qd]

The Golborne Road scenes bring back memories. My aunt & uncle ran the newsagents there, and some filming was done out the window of their living room on the first floor. They even used their bedroom on the floor above as Thaw's dressing room for the day. (My aunt kind of gave guided tours of these rooms to interested mums whenever my cousins had birthday parties.) And the doorway Thaw emerges from is the front door to their house next to the shop.

[@Sweenealogy]

Amazing, thanks for the recollections 😊

[@muzzy1978]

Another brilliant episode. Your work is much appreciated, and many thanks for pointing out the Leone reference in the framing of 'Hard Men'. As a fan of the great Italian director I must admit I'd never noticed the similarity before so top job there!

[@davidprice6994]

Just joined your channel, lots of memories there from watching this classic series when i was a young boy living in north London Islington at the time. The Venus café is also featured in a Madness video from January 1981 the return of the loss palmers 7

[@thomaswillans4085]

Class. The constant evolution of the capital 😂❤

[@maltesetony9030]

Superbly researched!

[@Baldieman1]

Hats off to you mate,it takes real dedication in the research to make these fascinating vids.As a late 50 something,I have to agree with your obs of 70's London.While it may have looked grey ,and there was bank robbing etc,I would still rather be back there. I know much of the city has been "gentrified",but at the same time,why does it look so characterless,and more grimy in many ways,what with all the random flytipping,litter,and,as shown here,the defacement of so much of the city with"street art",99% of which is just huge,gaudy lettering,repeating their graffiti name over& over?

[@psmiddx2096]

Amazing, well done, big fan of yours, thanks for doing them for us all to see! Always remember, it being shown on a Monday night, which would usually have been after dreadful school, but lightened by the series!

[@Sweenealogy]

Glad you're enjoying the videos :)

[@simondavies438]

I literally just found your channel this evening and just binged watched all your episodes which I have found to be superb. The production and genuine narration by yourself is outstanding. As a Sweeney fan I often wondered what some of the street scenes filmed back in those 1970's days would look like today and you are answering those questions in every episode. Brilliant stuff and thank you very much...I'm off down the boozer in the Granada after a hard day chasing villains now...Cheers 🍻

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks so much - glad you're enjoying the videos :)

[@nessiediamond]

Fabulous!! Thank you so much for all your videos. I'm a huge fan of 'Then and Now' comparisons, especially of London. I love The Sweeney, and your knowledge of locations and storylines is superb. All very appreciated. Best wishes.

[@Sweenealogy]

Glad you like them!

[@nicholasswift2480]

Superb content! well researched and presented, many thanks for all your then and now The Sweeney episodes.

[@gavinbroad1743]

Another excellent vid. Please do keep them coming. 👍🏻

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks, will do!

[@gavinbroad1743]

@@Sweenealogy 🙏

[@triumphstu]

If it's a Morris mini it's a Traveller Excellent vid!

[@Sweenealogy]

Many thanks! It's always nice to have these little extra historical details.

[@SixStringSteve]

Fantastic work ✨

[@Sweenealogy]

Thank you! 😊

[@clairependrous4512]

I love it, another fantastic video. Great research, many thanks.

[@Sweenealogy]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@cjcadventures]

Fantastic video really enjoyed all your hard work 👍

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks 👍

[@paulvalentine8172]

Love these videos, thank you for your hard work putting these together.

[@Sweenealogy]

Glad you like them!

[@AliasMrHackenbacker]

Absolutely brilliant, this is high quality stuff. I really look forward to seeing more, your attention to detail is second to none. The Sweeney was and still is one of my all time favourite TV shows

[@marksinthehouse1968]

I know grove well ,shame about the graffiti now ,I never liked the intro in the later series to me the Granada coming down collett gardens in the opening title was the best ,great videos of the best police series ever and around me Mana too guv 😊

[@Sweenealogy]

I prefer the 'blue' opening sequence in Series 1-3 as well.

[@TCCTTWH]

Great work again.To much more of this and your going to end up back in a tall hat😂

[@steve_colwill]

“Okay, SweeNEEEY!” 🤣 Blinding! Thanks for posting, excellent as always. 👍🏻

[@Sweenealogy]

Thank you - glad it was worth the wait :)

[@giulianomarco]

A fistful of bacon banjos! 😁👍

[@meandering99]

Great stuff, thanks.

[@CarlDraper]

Brilliant job! i look forward to the next installment

[@Sweenealogy]

Thank you!

[@johnklimcke8875]

Absolutely brilliant viewing again please keep these videos up. Nothing beats the sweeney well done 👏🍻

[@Sweenealogy]

Thank you - much appreciated :)

[@Shelfandtabletoplayouts00gauge]

I get your take on the old abandoned buildings, they do ooze history and stories.

[@TallysVids]

Fantastic as always guv. I really look forward to your videos, so much research and planning, amazing job.

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks :)

[@KPGRUND]

Ubiquitous 70’s “hard man” James Cosmo

[@dercoss]

Great stuff. Keep them coming..

[@Sweenealogy]

Thanks, will do!

[@minderDOTorg]

Another 15 minutes of my life gorn thanks to the wonders of Sweenealogy.

[@michaelcarlos8686]

Great as usual. That last pub still has customers leaving a bit unsteady on their feet by the sounds of it.😂

[@Sweenealogy]

Haha, I see what you did there :)

[@thurstonhowell3569]

Fantastic.

[@Mike20216]

Love these and this is another gem of a episode, Thank you for uploading much appreciated

[@Sweenealogy]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@richardkeam8055]

Another informative episode, thank you

[@neilwheel]

Brilliant! Well done 👏👏👏👏

[@Sweenealogy]

Thank you! 😃

[@alexhoyle]

Happy Days

[@markcf83]

The old bus garage on Middle Row was replaced in 1981 by one about a mile away at Westbourne Park.

[@user-vw3yi9kh2b]

Thanks so much for your efforts. I still watch the Sweeney in afternoon. The very best possible series ever made. You have done us proud. DeVere of Lancashire.

[@Sweenealogy]

Thank you 😊

[@andrewbeech2199]

Brilliant once again ! Cant believe it about the phone box though, I just thought over time they had been removed.. Great stuff.

[@Sweenealogy]

That was news to me as well - but 'once you see it, you can't unsee it', so to speak.

[@PositiveCoaching1508]

I absolutely loved and still love The Sweeney. Thank you so very much for posting. I'm turning 66 this year and for me, Jack Regan and George Carter were real Police officers. I can't believe I said that out loud...🙈🤪 Please don't send the men in white coats for me...😁

[@Sweenealogy]

Hah, no danger there - I think anyone watching (or creating!) this channel probably shares that opinion :)

[@TPerry2828]

Really enjoyed that, thanks so much for making these fascinating episodes 👍

[@Sweenealogy]

Glad you enjoyed it!