Boom in cinema's locally...

So just how many cinema's have there been in the local area?

I'm counting at least 7 down the Kilburn High Road (only 1 now)
1 on Belsize Road in Kilburn
The current 1 at Swiss Cottage
1 on the Finchley Road
2 on Heath Street, NW3 (1 still there)
and 2 on Haverstock Hill (1 still there)

I make that 13 in the past (3 today)
Any other's I've missed?

The blog as somewhere that captures the moment

One of the merits of blogs as I understand it is the ability to capture the current thought, the reaction, the precise event almost coterminus.

So it seems with this little quirky local community blog...

I take pictures all the time as I am out and about on the patch and it is scary just how quickly those pictures become the record.

Often I pop back to get a better picture and find that a building has gone, a tree been pruned, the cars almost certainly have changed and so you can't actually recreate the moment... and so now also with the Screen on the Hill.

I took these pictures a little while back meaning to do a posting about it and of course now time has overtaken me with the advent of Everyman II.

I'm not regretting the change in this instance, just observing it. I didn't go to Screen on the Hill but can confess to being a devotee of the Everyoman in Holly Hill for pure relaxing luxury... I just hope this one on Haverstock Hill (opposite Belsize Tube) achieves the same standards and appreciation.

William Friese Greene - Kilburn as the home of cinema?

So, does Kilburn have the claim to be the home of William Friese-Greene and cinematography? There are certainly enough traces and claims that are fairly easy to track down.

The Tricycle Theatre has a plaque on it's wall for the grand opening that pays tribute to Friese-Greene's work.

But none of the biographies I have found to date suggest or confirm a north london connection and not yet a Kilburn link... other than the Kilburn plaque...

Well in fact at the bottom of the Kilburn High Road, where it becomes Maida Vale I found Friese-Greene House - nothing special or flashy but very much there...

So clearly the rumour, the story, the myth and the tradition that he was Kilburn has some credence, supporters or validity.

It is suggested that Kilburn High Road was the location for Friese-Greene's studio's - and that the Tricycle is on the site of the those. These were not successful cinema's and Friese-Greene's role in the development of cinematography. His supporters suggest that he in fact effectively invetned the moving picture and that Thomas Edison secured the patent... other suggest that he was heading on the right lines but his lack of success, business acumen and inability to secure the patent that took off means his reputation has been dimmed and then controversial.

In tradition with all great inventors (it would seem) he died in dramatic circumstances whilst addressing a convention of film enthusiasts so his place in history has been at least noted and enhanced.

The main claim to his story lies with Brighton who are very keen to secure him: http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__5718_path__0p117p157p344p.aspx

But there is one further piece in the Kilburn claim... just down the Kilburn High Road, a few yards from the Tricycle there is a row of late victorian buildings that has some stone tracery - in the form of film rolls! Now I am not suggesting that this is some kind of subliminal tribute to Friese-Greene, though it is possible (esp. given the lilely operational dates in Kilburn of 1888-1891), but I am saying that it feels like it adds some voracity to the claim that Kilburn has a cinematic tradition. It might be all those cinema's, but it might be the film experiment and development studios... any insights out there?

More on William Friese-Greene can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Friese-Greene which is a pretty balanced account.

The National Ballroom could make a comeback...

I'm told you could see queues down the Kilburn High Road at the peak of the cinema going 40's and 50's and oft course it is easy to forget that there were at least 4 cinema's.

The National was one of the most grand (though not as grand as the Gaumont State) and is still there today - only now as a church not a cinema.

Taking a walk around it you realise just how large and in fact dominant it is - an entire island off Grangeway that looms over Kilburn Grange Park.

Now it's a bit tatty and feels like it would benefit from a spruce up, but all the features are still there including the coloured glass windows.

It was first known as the Kilburn National Ballroom, then later as the Kilburn National Club, the National, with its distinctive dome, has played host to hundreds of major rock bands, from The Smiths to Nirvana to Blur.

There was even a short-lived music television programme broadcast live from the place in the 1980s.

In 1999 it was closed down after long legal battles over noise levels, and was converted into an evangelical Church which continues today.

Cinema's arouse great passion:
http://www.cinema-theatre.org.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A2866971

Kilburn State Cinema - end of year developments

I have earlier posted about the future of the Kilburn State cinema venue on the Kilburn High Road [http://474towin.blogspot.com/2007/11/kilburn-state-final-closing-days.html] - two major developments have since occurred.

The first is the emergence of a group of residents up for pushing forward a positive agenda for the venue - mindful of its historical and architectural significance to the High Road and locality - but also wanting to see the building back in use and accessible to the public.

To that end we held a vigil on the 70th anniversary of the building being opening on 20th December 1937 - just in time for Christmas.

The was held at short notice but was brilliantly well supported.

Thanks to Councillors Anthony Dunn, Derek Jackson, Janet Grauberg, James King, David Abrahams and Russell Eagling for attending and helping.

A special thanks to Oliver Curry who set up http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savethekilburnstate/ and who sent round an email highlighting the vigil. Also heartfelt thanks to the residents and traders who came along - it was cold and windy!

After some discussion we have now resolved to formalise a group of residents and traders passionate about the buildings significance to establish a clear vision for the future.

The next major development however, is the news that the Kilburn State has been sold by Rank Mecca to the Ruach Inspirational Church of God - based in the UK in Brixton. The good news of this is that it isn't a property developer determined to make proft through exploitation of the site, but it raises a whole load of additional questions.

We will be working with Brent and Camden Councils to try and get a real meaningful dialogue with the new owners and secure some good access for the community - there are lots of ideas - we just now need to get the talking going and the action identified...