Ridley Road filming locations

I enjoyed watching the four-part television series Ridley Road and thought I’d seek out some of the filming locations as they’re near home. It was based on a novel by the same name about the 62 Group - a Fascism group that really existed in the 1960s. Its members loathed Jews and used violence to promote fascism.

The group was based in London and the story is about a young Jewish woman who lives in suburban 1960s Manchester but escapes to London to dodge a marriage her dad has arranged. In London she gets a job as a hairdresser while seeking out her first true love Jack who is a spy inside the 62 Group. Using her feminine wiles she gets under the guard of the group and joins Jack to bring down the group from within.

Filming was cleverly done. The story depicts 1960s London but filming was done in the North West. The big speech in Trafalgar Square was done on the steps of Bolton Town Hall. The demonstration march was filmed in Ashton-under-Lyne. The swish boutique hair salon (really a florist) was filmed in central Manchester. The invasion of the London synagogue was filmed at Manchester’s synagogue.

Making locations look dated must be an industry in itself. When you print out television screenshots and then visit the locations you realise how effort was spent “dating” a place - adding shop fronts, letterboxes, gas lanterns, prams, clothes, barrows, street signs while taking away or hiding modern street signs, telephone kiosks, British Telecom boxes, defibrillators, network masts, road markings, etc.

I didn't know things were filmed nearby until I saw the main character Vivien walking down a street in London. I thought I recognise that road and way it bends around" and did some investigating. It was the place where I go shopping. As I was taking photos some drop-outs outside The Feathers pub (the kind of pub where the same people start drinking daily the moment it opens) came over to me and said they'd watching the filming - all done in a day. A man in a wheelchair (with stumps for legs) enjoyed rifling through the screen shots I'd printed out. Some lads behind shouted, "Usain, the taxi's here - leave the lad alone." Perhaps the sun had got to me but I asked where his legs were. "Swapped them for a cocaine spliff....naaa....diabetes, own fault."

I hadn't known of the 62 Group and read up on it. It's leader Colin Jordan lived and died at his home in North Yorkshire so a future newsletter will probably show me saluting outside his home.

Filming locations

General Soho, family Manchester tailor shop, London tailor shop and Nazi march : Stamford Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne

Hair salon : Tib Street, Manchester

Speech : Bolton town hall, Bolton, Lancashire

Fascist headquarters : Silverwell Street, Bolton

London Synagogue : Manchester Reform Synagogue, Jackson's Road, Manchester

Stamford Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne...