One of the main characters is a writer named Eric Blair. "Eric Blair" was the real name of the author who wrote many books under the pen name George Orwell ('1984', 'Animal Farm', 'Down and Out in Paris and London' etc.).
The traffic accident late in the film takes place in front of the St. John's Wood tube station, at the intersection of Finchley Road and Grove End Road, London NW8. (The view has changed somewhat on 2010 Google Maps, but the main landmarks are still visible.)