When my friends took me to see ‘Trainspotting‘ during the Easter holidays in 1996 I had never heard of it or Irvine Welsh (the author of the book which the story was based on for those not in the know) and had no idea what I was about to see. I loved the film and its movie poster, soundtrack CD and video was a major part of my University life and a fair few years later I worked my way through all of Irvine Welsh’s other books.

Whilst I was with Richard Richard in the capital city recently he said that ‘Trainspotting’ was his favourite film so we decided to track the first of two London locations down. Of course the majority of the film is set in Scotland but the boys go down south to do a drug deal.

Sick Boy leads the guys out of Smallbrook Mews, across Craven Road and in to the Royal Eagle Hotel. We went to Lancaster Gate underground station to get there and do our own version of the “small-time wasters” parody of the Beatles’ Abbey Road album cover. Needless to say that one person crossing the road (below) doesn’t quite have the same impact as four guys crossing it.

A couple of days later I went to West Kensington tube station which was the apartment Renton allows Begbie and Sick Boy to squat in in order to get them out of his place. He’s working as an estate agent and describes it as a “beautifully converted Victorian townhouse” which is very ironic when you actually see the picture of it below.

For other London filming locations click on the links below:

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