Fans of actor Michael Caine will be flocking to see him in his latest and last film The Great Escaper, loosely based on the true story of Bernard Jordan who secretly left his care home to attend the 70th D-Day commemorations in France. But it’s also an excuse to rewatch some of his classic films now that he’s announced his retirement. The Ipcress File, the classic 1965 spy film is one of his best and is even better as it features St John’s Wood, looking a little less salubrious than it does today. Caine plays a disgraced army sergeant and working-class anti-hero called Harry Palmer working for British intelligence in London. Footage shows him walking down Hamilton Terrace and letting himself into number 139, a large, shabby townhouse which has seen better days. Today the property has been remodelled into a smart detached property, but the tree Caine walks past is still there.
