Northfields Old Cinema Illustrated Card
£3.25
This card features The Ealing Christian Centre (formerly the Avenue Theatre and then Odeon/Coronet Cinema) in Northfields created exclusively by Charlotte Berridge.
All my cards are printed on 300gsm recycled card, supplied with a recycled envelope. They are carefully hand packaged in a biodegradable cellophane bag. Each folded card measures approx 105mm wide x 148mm tall.
All cards are blank inside for your own message.
A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT THIS BUILDING
This striking building on Northfield Avenue has been Grade II* Listed since 1974. Designed by Cecil Masey in 1932 it opened as the Avenue Theatre on 5th September with the movie “The Honorable Mr. Wong”
The architecture featured an unusual Spanish theme with the original interior boasting little villa’s along the side walls. The ceiling, instead of traditionally being painted with stars or cloud effects was draped with a rich striped embroidered tapestry, gathered along the centre and hung in loops to form a tented ceiling giving the appearance of shading the auditorium from the sun. Lanterns hung from the ceiling giving a warm amber glow, and there was soft backlighting behind the side wall villa’s.
In 1936 The Avenue Theatre was taken over by Odeon Theatres Ltd. In later years the cafe/restaurant was closed down and the original organ was removed. The elaborate tented ceiling was replaced in the seventies with a plain pleated red cloth. By the late-1970’s there was a proposal to convert it to a bingo hall. Then another to convert into a triple screen cinema. Both came to nothing.
In 1981 The Odeon became The Coronet Cinema but sadly this only lasted a few years and it closed on 17th January 1985 with Arnold Schwarzenegger starring in “The Terminator”.
Despite the Ealing Cinema Trust forming to save the building from becoming a bingo hall, the building was sold and plans put forward to convert it into a nightclub and build a supermarket on the car park. All the seats and fittings were taken out, the orchestra floor was terraced and the circle re-stepped to become a bar area. It opened in 1988 as the Top Hat Club.
The club closed in 1994 and the building was taken over by the current owners Elim Penticostal Church who have slowly been renovating the building back to its former splendour.
