Alex the Dabbler

... with these photos attached: Looks like he and his brother were standing about where he and I were in 2013 (on the northeast corner of North Gower and Euston Street -- not to be confused with Euston Road). Thanks, Carol, for posting the pictures and my brief summary. To recap in more detail, my brother and I first arrived at North Gower Street around 8:30 AM and we were told by the location manager that the actors wouldn't be showing up before 8:30 PM, so we might as well leave (which we did around 9:30 AM). My brother told him we were expecting to see our cousin Steven about 2:00 PM and the location manager just said that we had been notified. On the way back to North Gower Street, my brother and I stopped by Gordon Square and Malet Street, where we verified the signs we saw on Twitter were for some sort of Monday filming. It's a good thing that we showed up at North Gower Street around 1:30 PM because when we came down Euston Street we went to the area where fans were on the north side of the street facing Speedy's Cafe. We got moved around a little by the crew during the day to allow for vehicles moving around, but pretty much stayed in that area the entire evening. The folks who showed up later, however, were moved from the barricades on North Gower Street by Stephenson Way that were also blocking traffic to way down North Gower Street by Drummond Street and had a terrible view of filming. The first scenes were filmed in the afternoon and involved a bunch of extras running down North Gower Street away from Speedy's and told to "react", apparently to a non-existent explosion. Our cousin left after a couple of hours around 4:00 PM. The main cast didn't show up until about 10:00 PM, when a black car coming from Euston Street dropped each of them off near where we were standing a few rows from the barricades. Meanwhile the crew had set up a crane with lights pointed at Speedy's and three tall "rain" sprayers, which they tested before filming a scene or two with the actors walking in the rain. We were told that anyone using flash photography would be removed from the area, so all of my night photos were taken with my Motorola Android phone that has no flash. After about a half hour of filming, Amanda Abbington, a genuine sweetheart, came over to us to get her photo taken and signed autographs. She also was asking fans where they came from and how long they had been there. Then in order, Steven Moffat, Sue Vertue, and Mark Gatiss came over to sign autographs and get photos taken. Then Amanda persuaded Martin Freeman, who she came with, and Benedict Cumberbatch to come over and sign autographs and get their photos taken. Some fans were volunteering where they were from and how long they had been there, even though MF and BC didn't ask. Then at about 11:00 PM, the actors started leaving and the crew started putting everything away, so my brother and I headed down Euston Street over to the fortunately still open Sainsbury's Local store at Euston Station to buy a couple of big bottles of orange juice and a couple of bags of caramel chocolates - we weren't that hungry and were mostly thirsty after purposely not drinking much to avoid having to pee while standing around for ten hours. All in all, it was a fantastic, magical night that we will never forget. This morning we plan to check out Gordon Square and Malet Street to see if anything is going on on our way to Speedy's. :D Addendum: My brother Greg and I greatly enjoyed our Watson wraps, chips, and hot tea at Speedy's on another rainy morning. On the way we verified that no Sherlock filming was going on at Gordon Square, Malet Street, or North Gower Street, so I guess our great night last night will have to do for me until Series 5 filming, when hopefully my dear Carol and I will get similar luck as what Greg and I had yesterday. I also did not see any sign of Spiderman in North Gower Street flats as I watched the Sherlock crew finishing up returning the street to normal.

I can see on Twitter #setlock that the Baker Street signs are up, the door numbers have been changed and Sherlock fans are behind orange barricades. My brother and I will be heading back over to North Gower Street soon.

The "Baker Street" signs are now up: https://twitter.com/hashtag/setlock

Sorry, JP, but they wouldn't let us anywhere near 187 North Gower Street.

Report from North Gower Street: Well, North Gower Street is closed to traffic now and the Sherlock crew are busily setting up for Sherlock filming. They are replacing the curtains in the flat and replaced all of the adjacent street signs with ones that are consistent with the intended Baker Steet location. We got there at 8:30 AM and stayed for about an hour and they had taken the 187 number off the door, but still hadn't put up the 221B or the Baker Street signs yet. Consistent with what Sue Virtue posted on Twitter, the location manager came over and told us that filming wouldn't start before 8:30 PM, so he suggested that we may as well just leave until then, but my brother and I are supposed to meet a cousin there around 2:00 PM, so we'll go back by then. Filming is definitely happening tonight though!

I just got back from North Gower Street again and this time I saw a big truck parked in the roped off area, presumably one of the technical vehicles mentioned in the letter to North Gower area residents. One interesting thing I noticed was a different parking restriction sign on Drummond Street, which was for some custodial work from 13 June through 17 June - probably not filming (I overheard someone talking about some renovations, so maybe that's it). There were also some "WIM LOC" and "WIM BASE" signs around North Gower Street, as have been seen around other Sherlock filming locations, presumably directing crew where to park, set up equipment, etc. There was also a "WIM CARS" sign, which was probably for a similar purpose. Rereading the letter sent to the North Gower Street area residents, I think that filming will happen on Sunday, although I don't know how many "Baker Street" scenes they need to film for the three Series 4 episodes, so maybe one day will not be enough and Monday is for finishing what they wouldn't be able to complete on Sunday. I'm going over there pretty early tomorrow and plan to hang around all day, so I guess I'll find out.

Report from North Gower Street: I just got back from North Gower Street by Speedy's and so far there is nothing going on yet - no filming, no setup, no technical vehicles, etc. And the address still says 187 North Gower Street. My brother and I will go back there shortly and see what is happening, but we're glad that we went straight to our hotel from the train and checked in early before getting quickly to North Gower Street.

I just stopped by North Gower Street earlier today and here is what I found: 1. All of the North Gower Street signs indicate filming for 11 June through 13 June. 2. Only the signs on Euston Street indicate filming only for Sunday. This suggests to me that this letter was sent to someone on Euston Street and Sherlock filming of scenes will likely take place on either the Saturday or the Monday (or both), as well as on the Sunday or it's possible that filming is only on the Sunday as the letter implies, but the Saturday is needed for setup and the Monday may be needed to complete filming if it's not finished on Sunday. In any case, my brother and I will be there to observe what we can!

To quote from the letter: Here is a map showing the streets mentioned. This could work out perfectly for me in that I might not have to check my bags at Euston Station and I can just focus on watching filming on Sunday, June 12th and Monday, June 13th if they're not done.

The Sherlock crew may not have off work on banking holidays.

Carol and I enjoyed seeing the multiple takes of "Baker Street" exterior scenes from 21 May, 2013, when some scenes for "The Sign of Three" and "The Empty Hearse" were being filmed, so I surely won't be bored. ;)

I have arrived in the UK and my first expedition from Heathrow to London involved a trip on the Tube to North Gower Street to confirm that indeed there were no-loading signs up and down North Gower Street indicating that there will be filming from 11 June through 13 June, so when my brother and I arrive on 11 June at nearby Euston Station from visiting relatives in Colwyn Bay, Wales, we will store our three bags at Left Luggage at Euston Station for as long as they'll watch them (10:00 PM), then walk over to North Gower Street, where we'll observe filming for the rest of that day, while arriving early on the next two days to also observe filming. .Presumably we'll be witnessing all exterior "Baker Street" scenes being filmed for each of the three Series 4 episodes (probably a different episode for each day). It couldn't have worked much better for the way I had already scheduled this trip!

From an earlier Twitter post, it sounded like I was going to miss Sherlock filming at North Gower Street, but from this new Twitter photo, it looks like my stay in London from June 11 through June 19 will work out perfectly! :D :P :D :P https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjirpZJUoAEDjEY.jpg:large

Maybe Sherlock and John don't want to be easily recognized by the Serbian baddies who are apparently in Series 4, possibly to avenge the death of the criminal mastermind who they used to work for.

From filming at Cardiff University earlier this week:

Well, it looks like filming may be going according to my plan. I will be in the UK from 29 May through 19 June and I will be in London from the afternoon of 11 June through the morning of 19 June. With episode 2 filming beginning next week, that may put North Gower Street filming right during the week of 13 June while I'm in London. My suspicion is that if they are indeed filming all "Baker Street" exterior scenes for all three episodes on one day, I think they would schedule that at the end of filming episode 2 because if they waited until after episode 3, the director for episode 1 may not be available any more (and they'll need all three directors there), and that's my hope :D.

Apparently they're filming at "the Diogenes Club".

Of course, #4 is the baby. More here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3559686/Martin-Freeman-takes-Dr-s-biggest-role-films-Sherlock-London-s-Borough-Market.html

A photo of our gang of four:

Here's more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3557832/Benedict-Cumberbatch-detective-s-overcoat-Sherlock-Series-4-starts-filming-Cardiff.html

S4 filming proceeds and there is Sherlock.

The flat is furnished: https://twitter.com/arwelwjones/status/710007282562678784.

Don't count on seeing BC with his own Sherlock hair during Series 4 Filming: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-03-11/benedict-cumberbatch-wore-a-wig-in-the-sherlock-special.

Our friend Smiley is back: https://twitter.com/arwelwjones.

The flat is coming together: https://twitter.com/arwelwjones/status/707132175779553280.