Unlike New York or LA, most people don't readily associate London with the silver screen. Walking around London doesn't conjure up the same movie memories as a stroll through Greenwich Village or Sunset Boulevard. But the fact is that wherever you are in London, you're not too far from some film history. From the proud Regency squares of Mayfair and Belgravia to the council estates of the East End, the capital has been captured on film, warts and all. Crews According to Film London, on average almost 30 crews are shooting in the capital every day of the year and temporarily changing the way it looks. Clive Owen's Children of Men recently transformed Trafalgar Square into a conflict zone set in the future, as seen in our main image above.
 | | Ewan on Hampstead Heath |
Other recent productions include the indie hit Scenes of a Sexual Nature, which was shot almost entirely on Hampstead Heath with a starry cast including Ewan McGregor, and breakthrough productions London to Brighton and The Plague. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of all this activity is that many locations, featured either in Hollywood blockbusters or Brit-flicks, will literally be walking distance from where you work or live. Firm Favourites Favourite locations include Greenwich, Notting Hill, King's Cross, Borough, Camden, Westminster and Docklands, famously the setting of one of London's most popular and iconic films, The Long Good Friday. London isn't always easily instantly recognisable on screen and it is this diversity and mixture of architectural styles that makes it a boon for filmmakers. Stanley Kubrick used the Beckton Gas Works in Newham for instance as a stand-in for war-torn Vietnam and located Alex's family home in A Clockwork Orange on the grim windswept concrete South Thamesmead estate. King's Cross
 | | The Ladykillers - of course |
King's Cross will forever be associated with The Ladykillers but it also features in numerous other flicks including Alfie, This Year's Love and A Hard Day's Night. St Pancras Chambers has been used in countless films from period pieces such as Howard's End and Chaplin to Hollywood blockbusters like Batman. Notting Hill The film of the same name gave Notting Hill global exposure, but anyone with a knowledge of London movies will know that the area has been immortalised on screen a number of times before. Most notably, parts of W10 were used in The Italian Job and Performance, A Hard Day's Night and Alfie. Westminster
 | | London uninhabited in 28 Days Later |
Westminster, which saw a 16 per cent increase in location activity in 2004, remains London's most filmed borough, closely followed by the Corporation of London and Lambeth. Whiteleys Shopping Centre in Bayswater found international fame in the film Closer and tourist attractions Big Ben, Westminster Bridge and Centre Point were featured in Danny Boyle's hugely successful 28 Days Later. Borough Thanks to Guy Ritchie, and the makers of Bridget Jones's Diary, Borough's Dickensian back alleys and famous market have well and truly been put on the film map. But there is more to filmmaking in Borough than Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Key scenes from The French Lieutenant's Woman were shot in and around the market, as was Howard's End. Greenwich One of the most popular locations for film crews, Greenwich - Film London research reveals - managed an impressive 57 per cent increase in shooting days in 2004. The Old Royal Naval College and Observatory are very popular with filmmakers but features such as Mike Leigh's All or Nothing was shot in the borough, as was most of Blow-up and Stephen Frear's Dirty Pretty Things. (Interested? You can download movie maps of your film favourites by using the relevant link in the right-hand column) RELATED LINKS: | 
