Brotherly Love Locations

[terry]

I remember the church scenes being filmed in my local parish church St. Marys Eccles Manchester. It always seems strange to see Fitz sat in the same pew which I sat in when being married two years earlier. The pub scenes are usually filmed in the Lamb Hotel Eccles. The first murder scene in Brotherly Love was shot at the Castlefield basin in Manchester City centre. Some of the police station scenes throughout the series were filmed at the actual Bootle St station in Manchester City (where my sister in law works) Centre. During filming we once saw Robbie eating a bacon sandwhich in a little cafe on Liverpool St near the Castle field Basin.. not eating in the crew catering vans as everyone else but exchanging a few words with the public.
Although I recognise many of the locations used throughout the series, Eccles, Manchester & Salford are frequently used, one has defeated me, where is Fitz house? there are many such houses in Ellesmere Park (Eccles) but this house I do not recognise.

[Admin]

Hi Terry - welcome to the board

Interesting post about the locations, thanks for posting. Wasn't there some old printworks in Manchester which they used for the police station stuff as well? I'm sure I read that somewhere before, at least I think I did! LOL, next time I go up to Manchester I so want to find the house which was used as Fitz's home! Last time I went to Manchester I really didn't take notice of my surroundings too much. Next time I think I will - I probably will recognise a few places that were used for filming

[terry]

Sarah,
Yes, the printworks was used. This is the old 'Maxwell House' building, Robert Maxwell's Daily Mirror group headquarters which fell into disrepair. To my knowledge only the outside of the building is ever seen (in several episodes).
When Fitz goes to the cashline usually with Penhalligan it is the bank opposite the printworks near Victoria Station (which also features). Incidently the 'Printworks' has been refurbished, is known as such and is an entertainment complex. Manchester has become film city over the last decade, and as I am frequently working in the city centre I enjoy spotting film locations (well there is worse things to do). Any Cracker locations which interest you, please advise.

[Admin]

Do you know if the Ramada Hotel actually exists, Terry? The one Beck jumps off at the end of 'Brotherly Love?' I always wondered that! It always looks like the same roof that Fitz and Cassidy end up on the top of though (which in 'One Day A Lemming Will Fly' is meant to be above a big shopping complex).

Interesting about the printworks being refurbished. I thought that they were used for the filming of the police station scenes (the offices where Wise, Panhandle work etc - not necessarily the cell scenes), but I may be wrong on that (I'm sure I read that in the Radio Times once). If that is the case though and they have been refurbed then maybe Fitz won't be in familiar surroundings when the 2005 special hits the TV!

[terry]

The Ramada Hotel is on the corner of Deansgate and Market Street in the heart of Manchester City Centre opposite Marks & Spencer/Harvey Nicks, and yes, it was used in both locations. The cemetary location in 'To be a somebody is Agecroft' (Salford Manchester). The scene where the 'Sun Journalist' Moony is followed by Albie, and in a later shot is seen walking out of her office is the Manchester Evening News building on Deansgate Manchester. The end scene where Fitz hears the explosion of a letter bomb sent to Moony is, Albert Square in front of Manchester City Town Hall. The school in 'The Big Crunch' is Hope High Eccles/Salford.

[Admin]

So the Ramada does exist! I thought it probably did. That's all great stuff, Terry! Thanks so much

[terry]

Sarah,
Correction. The Ramada is now called the Renaissance.
Am I becoming a locations obsessive? well it good therapy? Terry

[Admin]

LOL, it's OK! I find the locations stuff quite interesting to be honest, Terry. I've been to Manchester a couple of times, so I might look out for a few places if I do eventually go there again! Oh, I did go to Old Trafford once and I do remember thinking that I couldn't see any of the houses and streets around it that Albie appears to be run into when he exits the ground chased by Beck. Maybe I was at the wrong end of the ground, but from what I remember OT had no direct housing around it - just car parks! LOL, I shouldn't be admitting to actually trying to notice that sort of stuff though - it's quite sad!!

[Terry]

Quite correct there are very few houses around the Old Trafford ground. In the episode to be a somebody I'm 90% certain 'Ali's shop is in an area called Longsight/ Levenshulme, which is east Manchester approx 8 miles from the ground on the opposite side of the city centre. The shop is on the corner of Charlton Rd and Portville Rd. The back to back terraces are very similar to those used in the episode, I think its a good guess they kept the shop and Albies house in one location.

[dave]

yes albies house was either in chorlton or levenshulme because dci billbourough and albie run from safeways thats in chorlton im sure it is.but with tricks of the camera it can be all joined together to make it look like they ran from location to location. the shop where albie stabs mr ali is on barlow road levenshulme i seen the filming back in 1993 or 1994 i was like 8 or 9 years old the 192 bus stops you on stockport road the location has a health centre across the way from the shop the episode to be a somebody doesnt show this. where albie stabs the asian shopkeeper it is now a derelict building a chemist is on the corner where he gets off the bus before stabbing him he gets the teabags and paper but is refused due to being short changed the episode wouldnt make u think it was the area at all but im 100 percent sure it was. i am a big big fan

[chrisallan1]

I just recently joined the forum,with an interest in the filming locations for Cracker,the recent ITV3 repeats have been essential viewing,i too was wondering about a lot of the Brotherly Love filming locations,they do seem difficult to pinpoint.
-however i can say that watching 'True Romance' i do recognise the exterior of the building used for Janice's flat,it is Albert Terrace,on lower hillgate stockport,the railings in front of the row of houses are still there.

back to Brotherly Love though,when panhaligon drives up to Denise,she is driving along a main road that has a 'Bilash Balti' takeaway on it,that seems to be next door to a newsagent,-not sure whereabouts this is in Manchester,any guesses anyone?

[chrisallan1]

Best Boys filming locations,the final scenes at the fairground were filmed at Castlefield basin (right next to Granada studios),the main railway bridge is recognisable in the background,also the pub which
Ian McVerry runs into for help is the Star and Garter,next to Piccadilly station.

[chrisallan1]

apologies here if the filming locations has drifted from the 'Brotherly Love Locations' discussion,perhaps there could be a new forum for this,out of interest,if any film company requests to film in any city-they would have to seek permission from the town hall i'm sure ,surely there would be a public domain document that would list filming locations ?

[The Guv of Wythenshawe]

A few locations known to me where Cracker was filmed. The Ramada Hotel is now the Renaissance Hotel and was used to film both "One Day A Lemming Will Fly" (1993) and "Brotherly Love" (1995) and is on Deansgate, the car park entrance is on Blackfriars Street.

The racist scene in the newsagents in the episode "To Be A Somebody" where Robert Carlyle's character Albie stabs the shopkeeper was indeed filmed in Levenshulme, Barlow Road to be precise. The record shop scenes in the second series of Life on Mars was also filmed there some years later.

And finally "Charlotte Road" (where Fitz lived) is actually just off Wilmslow Road and within walking distance of East Didsbury Metrolink and Railway Station. I originally thought it was filmed nearer Palatine Road but I soon discovered this a couple of weeks back.

And of course the inside shots of the police station was filmed in what is now The Printworks

[olcinm]

anyone know the location of the "Church of Souls" in series 2 episode 4-6 "The Big Crunch"?