While viewing a house a while back the owner said that the Somerfield in hte high street used to be a cinema (the granada i think it was called). Are there any pictures of this, or indeed what other cinemas have come and gone over the years.
Are there any other buildings that have undegone a dramatic change in usage?
I'd be very interested to know.
CINEMAS IN SYDENHAM
You might want to have a look at two books of old photos of Sydenham and Forest Hill, by John Seaman and John Coulter. Both are available at the Kirkdale bookshop (which is a real asset to the high street). I have plugged them before on a different thread but would recommend them to anyone at all interested in old Sydenham. I had a look at my copies last night and I didn't see any photos of that cinema, but there was a photo of another cinema (which I think was on the site of the current Naborhood centre).
The cinema was on the Somerfiled site, remeber it well, a frequent visitor in my youth,
just one of many that disapeared in the race to destroy any kind of local focal point, also disapeared, Penge and Crystal Palace cinemas, Forest hill ABC, now the usual bingo hall, amazed to see that the Beckenham cinema still exists
just one of many that disapeared in the race to destroy any kind of local focal point, also disapeared, Penge and Crystal Palace cinemas, Forest hill ABC, now the usual bingo hall, amazed to see that the Beckenham cinema still exists
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Steve Grindlay
- Posts: 606
- Joined: 4 Oct 2004 05:07
- Location: Upper Sydenham
This is a picture of the cinema taken in 1969:
The cinema was opened as The State in 1931, renamed The Granada in 1949 and closed and demolished in 1971.
Sydenham's other cinemas included Queen's Hall (referred to by Thomas) which was opened in 1910, renamed the Naborhood and demolished in 1953 and The Rink in Silverdale.
The cinema was opened as The State in 1931, renamed The Granada in 1949 and closed and demolished in 1971.
Sydenham's other cinemas included Queen's Hall (referred to by Thomas) which was opened in 1910, renamed the Naborhood and demolished in 1953 and The Rink in Silverdale.
CINEMAS IN SYDENHAM
The last picture makes me want to weep!
It's a real shame we dont have a cinema anymore (Bell Green perhaps?). Ho hum, but thanks for that Steve, great pictures.
Where do you get these pictures from Steve? Do you have any information on Fairlawn Park?
It's a real shame we dont have a cinema anymore (Bell Green perhaps?). Ho hum, but thanks for that Steve, great pictures.
Where do you get these pictures from Steve? Do you have any information on Fairlawn Park?
There's a photo and information about Fairlawn Park in one of the photograph books (Sydenham and Forest Hill or Forest Hill and Sydenham). It basically describes a few houses that were bombed during the war, which were subsequently demolished, resulting in a new shortcut through to the Home Park estate via Winchfield Road. I think the entry might also describe the date of building. Other than that Fairlawn Park doesn't really have much history. Here's something else I found on the Granada in one of the out of print photograph books featuring the Lewisham borough in general, which I already have pre-scanned and stored on the computer;
And the oddest thing about the demolition of this lovely cinema was that the outside had just been repaired! A small piece of the frontage had fallen down about a year before (luckily no-one was hurt) so they put scaffolding all around it and repaired the frontage. A short while later a brief notice went up saying it would close in 1 week's time and that was it, gone! The very last film to be shown there was, I think, 10 Rillington Place. What a sad end to a lovely piece of Sydenham histiory........
I think Steve said there was a short lived cinema in Kirkdale at it's junction with Sydenham Park. There was one down Dartmouth Road I think... I went looking for the auditorium last year after reading in the John Coulter/John Seaman books that part of it still survived, but it had already been demolished since publication. The waitress I spoke to in Wok Express didn't even know what I was talking about when I presumed their kitchens must be large. 
It's actually possible to walk behind that group of shops, but there's nothing there, albeit a new development of houses.
It's actually possible to walk behind that group of shops, but there's nothing there, albeit a new development of houses.-
Steve Grindlay
- Posts: 606
- Joined: 4 Oct 2004 05:07
- Location: Upper Sydenham
Simon, your "very elderly gentleman" might have been Ken George, who sometimes lunches in the Golden Lion. He knows more than anybody about the cinemas of Lewisham, and has written two books about them, "Two Sixpennies, Please" and "The Big Five". Both are out of print, but well worth getting if you can find them.
The five cinemas referred to would be the Granada, Queen's Hall (Naborhood) and Rink in Silverdale that have already been referred to, and two very short-lived cinemas, Sydenham Picture Palace at 193 Kirkdale (only a cinema 1910-1911) and the Garden Cinema in Perry Hill, where Milverton House now is (1913-1914).
All have been demolished except the Sydenham Picture Palace. The building is on the corner of Sydenham Park, and the hall in which films were shown survives, extending along Sydenham Park towards the old church.
The five cinemas referred to would be the Granada, Queen's Hall (Naborhood) and Rink in Silverdale that have already been referred to, and two very short-lived cinemas, Sydenham Picture Palace at 193 Kirkdale (only a cinema 1910-1911) and the Garden Cinema in Perry Hill, where Milverton House now is (1913-1914).
All have been demolished except the Sydenham Picture Palace. The building is on the corner of Sydenham Park, and the hall in which films were shown survives, extending along Sydenham Park towards the old church.
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Steve Grindlay
- Posts: 606
- Joined: 4 Oct 2004 05:07
- Location: Upper Sydenham
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nannyjacks
- Posts: 23
- Joined: 14 Sep 2006 15:29
- Location: medway
In Crystal Palace there used to be three cinemas,in Forest Hill it was the ABC opposite Ghinns the wool shop.
In Sydenham it was the Granada. In Catford there were three,in Lewisham there were the Gaumont,(excellent for Saturday morning picture for 6d,saw my first film there Peter Pan around 1949-50, also there was the Prince of Wales near to C&A's and the Rex at the bottom of Granville Park.I can remember that being built as it was built on an old bomb site that as children we used to play on.
In Lee High street there was the bug hutch ( New Cinema) which was the cheapest seats and the oldest films 7d to get in even for an adult, also in Penge there were two,the Odean plus the Century also a 'bug hutch' with very old movies.
When I was at secondary school and my pals and I used to 'hop the wag'. We knew all the movie houses in our area.
I also spent 6d to see the matinees at the old theatre house in Bromley High Street ,long before the Churchill was built. It was better than being in the rain in the winter, and a lot warmer
As a teenager Sunday afternoons at 4.00p.m. was the favourite time to go to the cinema as there was hardly anything on t.v. only pre-war 1930-40s Fred Astair films
We had no videos or playstations in those days, but I have a life long love of the cinema which, to this day I would still rather go to see a film than watch it on DVD.
I even liked watching the Pearl & Dean adverts.
In those days you had two films plus a newsreel and sometimes if you were lucky a cartoon. Mind you they were very smoky places and the usherettes were stict about people talking or making a noise.
As kids we used to have enough cash to get one of us in then they would open the fire exit by the loos to let their pals in. Sometimes if you were too noisey the staff would want to see your ticket and if you couldn't find the stub you were thrown out I think I have been turned out of nearly all the cinemas mentioned above as a kid.
Sometimes if the film was a good one, we would sit through it twice.
6d for the pictures and a threepenny Palm Toffee bar and a whole afternoon was spent at the pictures, we were easily pleased in those days ,now it costs £6.00 for a seat and if I take my grandchildren its another fiver for sweets and ice-creams .
In Sydenham it was the Granada. In Catford there were three,in Lewisham there were the Gaumont,(excellent for Saturday morning picture for 6d,saw my first film there Peter Pan around 1949-50, also there was the Prince of Wales near to C&A's and the Rex at the bottom of Granville Park.I can remember that being built as it was built on an old bomb site that as children we used to play on.
In Lee High street there was the bug hutch ( New Cinema) which was the cheapest seats and the oldest films 7d to get in even for an adult, also in Penge there were two,the Odean plus the Century also a 'bug hutch' with very old movies.
When I was at secondary school and my pals and I used to 'hop the wag'. We knew all the movie houses in our area.
I also spent 6d to see the matinees at the old theatre house in Bromley High Street ,long before the Churchill was built. It was better than being in the rain in the winter, and a lot warmer
As a teenager Sunday afternoons at 4.00p.m. was the favourite time to go to the cinema as there was hardly anything on t.v. only pre-war 1930-40s Fred Astair films
We had no videos or playstations in those days, but I have a life long love of the cinema which, to this day I would still rather go to see a film than watch it on DVD.
I even liked watching the Pearl & Dean adverts.
In those days you had two films plus a newsreel and sometimes if you were lucky a cartoon. Mind you they were very smoky places and the usherettes were stict about people talking or making a noise.
As kids we used to have enough cash to get one of us in then they would open the fire exit by the loos to let their pals in. Sometimes if you were too noisey the staff would want to see your ticket and if you couldn't find the stub you were thrown out I think I have been turned out of nearly all the cinemas mentioned above as a kid.
Sometimes if the film was a good one, we would sit through it twice.
6d for the pictures and a threepenny Palm Toffee bar and a whole afternoon was spent at the pictures, we were easily pleased in those days ,now it costs £6.00 for a seat and if I take my grandchildren its another fiver for sweets and ice-creams .
HOP The WAG............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought I was the only one left that remembered that term
I was a champ at hopping off, three weeks was the longest I managed in one hit, they could never find me because I holed up in the Horniman Museum reading room, reading all day.
the others used to get caught because they hung out in the cafes, like the dive that used to be by Forest Hill station.
Do you remember the cafe/coffee bar/ club that was in the basement of a place just opposite Jews Walk? I think its car showrooms/workshops now.
We were all warned off it when I was at school, never found out why, it got shut down, but me and some pals found a way in round the back, it was all done out like ancient Eygpt, complete with a mock up mummy, bags of coffee beans stacked there, first time I ever saw coffee that was not Camp.
That brings back a memory of The Kirkdale club, above a shop, corner of Dartmouth road, and Kirkdale, what was that all about? Red light in the pane above the door, always old men smelling of drink came out of a Sunday afternoon. It always had a seedy sort of air to it.
How about the all night self service launderette that opened in Kirkdale in the mid 60's? what a weird idea for Kirkdale even then, who wanted to wash clothes at 3 in the morning? didn't last long.
I thought I was the only one left that remembered that term
I was a champ at hopping off, three weeks was the longest I managed in one hit, they could never find me because I holed up in the Horniman Museum reading room, reading all day.
the others used to get caught because they hung out in the cafes, like the dive that used to be by Forest Hill station.
Do you remember the cafe/coffee bar/ club that was in the basement of a place just opposite Jews Walk? I think its car showrooms/workshops now.
We were all warned off it when I was at school, never found out why, it got shut down, but me and some pals found a way in round the back, it was all done out like ancient Eygpt, complete with a mock up mummy, bags of coffee beans stacked there, first time I ever saw coffee that was not Camp.
That brings back a memory of The Kirkdale club, above a shop, corner of Dartmouth road, and Kirkdale, what was that all about? Red light in the pane above the door, always old men smelling of drink came out of a Sunday afternoon. It always had a seedy sort of air to it.
How about the all night self service launderette that opened in Kirkdale in the mid 60's? what a weird idea for Kirkdale even then, who wanted to wash clothes at 3 in the morning? didn't last long.
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nannyjacks
- Posts: 23
- Joined: 14 Sep 2006 15:29
- Location: medway
yep, could be that one, has been a car sales/workshop for many years.
Wish I could eat Palm toffee now, used to like the bar with the banana flavour running through it.
Another treat was from the little sweet shop just up the road before Sydenham Park, you went down steps into it, theres a photo of it somewhere on this site, they would sell you a glass of Tizer with a small block of ice cream beaten up in it. luvvly
Wish I could eat Palm toffee now, used to like the bar with the banana flavour running through it.
Another treat was from the little sweet shop just up the road before Sydenham Park, you went down steps into it, theres a photo of it somewhere on this site, they would sell you a glass of Tizer with a small block of ice cream beaten up in it. luvvly