On 22 November 2012 a film grew were in Saltaire, along the canal, filming for a new 6 part Gangster drama for BBC2. It is called Peaky Blinders. The name apparently comes from the practice of hiding razor blades in the peaks of their caps. A quick swipe with the cap and…. You can read a bit about it here.
The first I noticed that something was going to be happening was on the way home the previous night when I saw a temporary No Parking sign fastened to the railings just before the bridge over the canal.
As usual you can click on the images to see them on Flickr.
The following morning the bottom end of Victoria Road had a number of Provision vans parked along it. Provision are a TV and Film equipment firm.
During the morning I first heard, and then saw, a fog generator on the side of the canal. It will be interesting to see what the final video looks like. I later saw that another, smaller, fog/smoke generator was poking through the railings on the other side of the canal near the bridge.
The clacker board managed to make a satisfying clack each time it was shown.
It was difficult to hear what was going on during the filming but from what I could gather the couple are on the barge, she is pregnant, (a bit difficult to tell from this photo) he ties the boat up and she tells him that they are only there because of him.
He then walks down the canal a few yards and meets another man who is dressed in a long dark coat and a cap. It looked like a small package changed hands.
You can see from this shot, taken at lunch-time, that the air is not exactly clear.
Three bargees also seem to be in the film. During the afternoon more filming was done down by the moorings alongside Riverside Court.
I often wonder how they film period dramas in a such a way that all the modern items don’t show. Now I know. They remove them or cover them. The beches along the canal have plastic signs fastened to them and timber mooring posts have cycle route signs. After the filming they are then put back in place.
They were still there at home time, but by then it was dark, windy and raining. Not very pleasant at all. But they certainly had the lights for it.
You can see the other photos within the set here.
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