Granada Cinema info please

[Guest]

Can anyone give me any info on The Granada Cinema. My Mum worked there for many years. If there was any photos it would be nice to see them.

Mark C

[admin]

There appears to have been three cinemas in Sydenham - The Queens Hall Cinema (demolished after bomb damage in 1943 and now the site of the Narborhood Centre), the Sydenham Cinematography Theatre (in Silverdale?) and the State Cinema which became the Granada on the corner of Girton Road. I only have a photograph of the site before it was built!

[Steve Grindlay]

The State/Granada was opened in 1931 and closed and demolished in 1971. The best account of the cinema, with some pictures, is in The Big Five: Lewisham's Super Cinemas by Ken George. You can see, and perhaps buy, a copy at Lewisham Local Studies Centre (http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/localStudies/) or try Amazon

[Eagle]

I recall seeing my first ever movie there in 54. It was The Wizard of Oz. As a 5 year old the place seemed very grand. Unfortunately towards the end of its life it became a bit tacky.
In the 60's used to be many local cinemas
Odean Penge ( where Moon and Stars is )
Granada Upper Norwood ( a bingo parlour )
Capitol Forest Hill ( now a pub of the same name )

As another writer has mentioned I understand in the 30's at least 3 cinemas in Syd alone. One was in Silverdale.

[Dick Eagle]

I recall seeing my first ever movie there in 54. It was The Wizard of Oz. As a 5 year old the place seemed very grand. Unfortunately towards the end of its life it became a bit tacky.

I think that was where I saw Al Jolsons "Jolsons Story in 1946, I think with a chum called Dickie Tong. incidently my fathers Brother Eddie (Edward ! ) Eagle lived in Forest Hill. He was the Tramways Power Station engineer at the bottom of Downham way, and is buried at Hither Green.

[BusyLizzie]

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I remember Saturday morning pictures at the Granada cinema. It was a great place to meet up with friends. Sometimes you could bunk in!!!

[matty s]

Can anyone give me any info on The Granada Cinema. My Mum worked there for many years. If there was any photos it would be nice to see them.

Mark C

:) My mother worked at the Granada as an usher from 1956 to 1971 when it closed. I spent a lot of my happy childhood sitting in the lower seating area watching The Jungle book and other disney classics. I remember sitting in the ticket booth on the left as you entered, the sweets / ice cream parlor on the right and the projection room on the roof. Access was by a very scary steel stair case on the outside. I remember looking through the exit doors on the corner of Sydenham High st in 71 and seeing the sky during the demolition. What a loverly cinema it was, and a sad day when it was turned into a super market. I have seen a photo in my mothers collection which shows all the staff standing on the main stairs to the circle, dressed in their uniforms with the managers sitting in front. Very Grand.

[sirrocco]

I recall seeing my first ever movie there in 54. It was The Wizard of Oz. As a 5 year old the place seemed very grand. Unfortunately towards the end of its life it became a bit tacky.
In the 60's used to be many local cinemas
Odean Penge ( where Moon and Stars is )
Granada Upper Norwood ( a bingo parlour )
Capitol Forest Hill ( now a pub of the same name )

As another writer has mentioned I understand in the 30's at least 3 cinemas in Syd alone. One was in Silverdale.

I lived off of Siverdale from 1956 til 1971 and never knew ther used to be a cinima there You learn something new every day.

I too used to go to the saturday matinees at the Granada theatre it used to cost 3d to get in and then went up to 6d we used to sometimes get in by the side door too

[Falkor]

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The Admin has removed the splendid old photos whilst copyright issues are clarified. Apologies for the inconvenience.

[Falkor]

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The Admin has removed the splendid old photos whilst copyright issues are clarified. Apologies for the inconvenience.