Filming "Pressure" on our Estate 

Our Estate was chosen as the location for key scenes in a new feature film about the Second World War.

私たちの敷地は、第二次世界大戦に関する新しい長編映画の重要なシーンのロケ地として選ばれました。

تم اختيار عقارنا ليكون موقعًا للمشاهد الرئيسية في فيلم روائي طويل جديد عن الحرب العالمية الثانية.

The movie, "Pressure", will tell the true story of James Stagg, the government's top weather forecaster, who had to advise if weather conditions would allow the allies to go ahead with the Normandy landings - the start of the campaign to liberate Europe and defeat Germany. Click here for more details of the film's plot and its stars, Andrew Scott, Damien Lewis and Brendan Fraser.

Filming day was September 9th, when a massive crew descended on the Estate to shoot inside a house near the start of the Princes Gardens loop, and in the street outside. HHGERA manages the gated service roads on behalf of residents and gave permission for the production company to use part of the area behind Princes Gardens for two weeks. We also worked closely with them to minimise disruption. But it was quite an operation with lights, cameras, vintage cars, generators, toilets, coffee van, a wind machine and goodness knows what other technical material. 

 

A lot of work went into ensuring everyone knew what was going on and minimising the disruption. Letters were delivered by the film company to the directly affected houses ahead of the production and HHGERA negotiated for 24-hour security to be provided throughout the two-week period of preparation and clearing up. We also made special arrangements for parking, given the large number of residents' bays suspended on filming day.

 

A consultation meeting about the project was held on August 27th at 11 Coffee & Co (Café 11), North Ealing. Holy Family Primary School was also informed and passed on information to parents. So there was little or no grumbling and quite a carnival atmosphere on the day as people turned out to watch and some were lucky enough to get a glimpse of two of the film's stars.

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We will be bringing proposals to the 2025 Annual General Meeting on using the Estate for future location work, as well as how to spend the unexpected financial windfall "Pressure" has given us.

(Translations by Google so hopefully make sense!)​

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Questions and answers 
 

Q: How did our Estate and the individual house get chosen for filming?

A: The Residents Association identified film locations as a potential source of revenue some time ago and registered on the Ealing Council's West London Film Office website. That brought an initial inquiry from a location scout, who did a letter drop at a number of potentially interesting houses around the Estate. Eventually the team homed in on one near the start of the Princes Gardens loop which was adapted to look as it might have in the 1940s, for the purposes of the film. Some neighbouring houses were also used for the actors to rest and refresh their makeup etc on filming day. Even the street outside got a makeover!

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Q: Will we be able to see the film when it comes out?

A: We're not sure when that will be - hopefully toward the end of 2025. The Residents Association doesn't necessarily expect to be invited to the premiere but we will try to arrange a special showing for people on the Estate.

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Q: Were people allowed to come and watch on filming day?

A: Yes, of course. There were a lot of people around, doing a complicated job, so we asked spectators to try not to get in the way and to follow any requests from the film crew. But it was fun and interesting to see how a film is made, and we got a bonus when Brendan Fraser, who plays Dwight D. Eisenhower in the film, unexpectedly turned up to see how the first day of this major shoot was going.

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Q: Why aren't there any photos online? Filming was the most exciting thing to happen here in ages!

A: Unfortunately, film companies are very sensitive about unauthorised images being made public and we're not allowed to share pictures under the contract signed. Hopefully we'll be able to post some publicity shots once the film is released.

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Q: Was the Residents Association paid for all the disruption?

A: Yes, the film company offered a nice contribution to Residents Association funds to compensate for the inconvenience caused to residents before, during and after filming. We will bring proposals to next year's Annual General Meeting on how this unexpected income should be spent.

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Q: Why should we have to put up with all the inconvenience when the film company will make millions out of it?

A: Film production is a risky business and not all films make money! The Residents Association co-operated with the film company to minimise disruption (for example to parking on September 9th and to bin collections). Residents will benefit from the money brought in to HHGERA accounts, while the film will raise the profile of our Estate - and who knows, maybe even help house prices.

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Q: Weren't all the extra people and vehicles a security risk, particularly when they were allowed into the service road?

A: 24-hour security guards were provided as a condition for access to the service road. They only allowed people and vehicles through the gate if they had a key or film company accreditation. We hope this may even have discouraged the criminals we know have been regularly patrolling Princes Gardens looking for unlocked vehicles and other opportunities for theft.

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Q: Where could residents park with so many residents' bays suspended?
A: Apart from September 9th, only three bays were suspended, at the start of the Princes Gardens loop. On filming day there were a lot more bays suspended. If people couldn't find a space, there were two options. 

• Anyone who has a service road key and a garage backing onto the service road, could park in front of their garage from the evening of Sunday September 8th until the evening of September 9th. They were asked to display the permit included in the letter delivered to affected houses, giving their name, address and a contact number. We asked people to park as closely as possible to their garages so other vehicles could get past. This seemed to work well and there were no complaints we're aware of.

• Alternative free parking, with 24-hour security, was provided at Acton Garden Village Association - Alwyn Gardens, W3 0JH (off Noel Road).

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Q: Were there road closures as well?

A: Yes, but only very briefly. There were Stop/Go traffic controls at three places on Vale Lane and Princes Gardens, between 4pm and 6.30pm on September 9th. Traffic could only be held for a maximum of two minutes at a time and the film crew sometimes asked pedestrians to hold for a short time while they were filming on the road. We enjoyed seeing the 20th and 21st centuries meet up as an Amazon van drove through, past the film's vintage vehicles!