Bowes and Bounds Connected
A Community Network for Bowes Park and Bounds Green
The Cinema Museum - Well worth a visit
On Saturday last I went to The Cinema Museumin Kennington. (Not to be confused with the Film Museum in Covent Garden) It was a great afternoon. If you are nostalgic for the days of usherettes, ice cream in the interval, film posters and programmes, this is the place to go.
It was good to hear that the Gaumont Cinema in Wood Green is listed - it is now a church I believe. I would love to have a look inside - I wonder if it would be opened on that annual Open House event?
The Cinema Museum is in the building that was a workhouse where Charlie Chaplin and his family were forced to live for a time. Highly recommended for a group visit! they allow you to take photos too!
Now then, I'll just light up me Woodbine and settle back....
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Comment by Lindsey Berthoud on January 10, 2013 at 11:26
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Thanks for this Kathleen - good photos and glad you enjoyed it. It's somewhere that's been on my to do list for a while so I really must make it to Kennington this year.
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Comment by Kathleen Duffy on January 10, 2013 at 11:37
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I had a lovely afternoon there Lindsey. Not many people know about it so it's good to spread the word!
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Comment by Richard McKeever on January 10, 2013 at 20:08
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This is terrific Kathleen - I must go and visit!
Your post reminded me of a project that was completed a couple of years ago to record and commemorate our local lost cinemas, music halls and theatres around Enfield.
Community art group Art Start worked with local schools and community groups to create large mosaics around the borough marking the locations of former "palaces of entertainment".This photograph for example shows a large mosaic on the site of the Premier cinema in Enfield Wash which was opened in 1921 and continued in operation until the early 1960s when it was used as a bingo hall - before demolition in 1985.
A number of other cinemas and theatres in Southgate , Edmonton and elsewhere are also listed.
The project has its own dedicated website with photographs of each mosaic and background information on the theatres.
A commemorative booklet was also produced - you can read a version of it online below.
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That's brilliant Richard! Thanks for sharing! I went to the Museum with The London Cultureseekers which is a Meetup Group, otherwise I would never have heard of it! They are trying to raise their profile now, and raise money too - these guys deserve a medal for all the cinema conservation they have done. If you visit they need to know as they have to organise some volunteers. They cater for groups if you can get one together - a photography group for instance might find all the stuff there interesting. so glad you found it interesting. It is sad to think that many of these places have been lost but great that their sites are being shown the respect they deserve, as you point out.
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Just looked at that book - those mosaics are fantastic!
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Comment by Julie McNamee on February 15, 2013 at 17:24
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They have showings of old films that you're unlikely to see anywhere else as well. The Cinema Museum's a very special place and I'm glad to see they're trying to raise their profile. Thanks for posting those pics Kathleen - I love the place. And I'll now go and have a look at Richard's booklet - thanks for that!
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Hi Julie - Yes, it's a fab place isn't it! I follow them on Twitter - you get all their news quickly then.
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They've a useful mailing list as well - I keep missing tweets :o)
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I'll check out their mailing list. Thanks Julie.
The Cinema Museum is part of The Happy Museums Project which is why their profile is being raised recently. http://www.happymuseumproject.org/commissioned-projects/cinema-useum
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