Lewisham’s former cinemas
Brockley Jack Film Club’s blog has a beautiful piece on how Lewisham would look today if its former cinemas still stood. It’s sobering reading with so many particularly impressive buildings torn down, or bomb-damaged during the Second World War. The King’s Hall (pictured below) has a high imperial air which looks like an Indian palace; the Gaumont Palace (later Odeon) reminds me of some of the modernist stations on the Piccadilly Line.
Between bomb damage, the negligence of their owners, and declining audiences at cinemas, these magnificent cinemas are now lost to us. As Councillors we’re keen to see a cinema return and have made the case that any redevelopment of Catford or further development of Lewisham Town Centre should consider space for a cinema as a priority.
Hat tip: Brockley Central
King’s Hall Cinema:
Gaumont Palace Cinema:
