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Towers Cinema
Towers Cinema Hornchurch, as Mecca Bingo
Towers Cinema is located in Greater London
Towers Cinema
Towers Cinema
Towers Cinema location in Greater London
General information
TypeFormer cinema
Architectural styleArt Deco/Streamline Moderne
Address31 High Street, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 1TP
Town or cityHornchurch, Essex
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates51°33′48″N 0°12′52″E / 51.5633485°N 0.2145259°E / 51.5633485; 0.2145259
Completed1935
Opened3 August 1935
Closed6 October 1973
Design and construction
Architect(s)Leslie Hagger Kemp & Frederick Edward Tasker
Architecture firmKemp & Tasker
Other designersInterior design by Clark & Fenn

Towers Cinema is a former cinema in Hornchurch, England. It was built in 1935 on part of the former Grey Towers estate and is noted for its Art Deco style of architecture. It was converted for use as a bingo hall in 1973. The Towers Cinema building has been threatened with demolition since 2015 and there is an ongoing local campaign to preserve the structure and to have it listed by Historic England.[1]

History

The Towers Cinema was built on part of the former Grey Towers estate, a stately home which was demolished in 1931. During World War I, the estate had been requisitioned by the Army Council for use as a military hospital and army camp. Soldiers from Grey Towers set up a cinema on station lane, which later became the Queen's Theatre. A new Cinema, named The Towers after the old mansion house, was built on the southern boundary of the Grey Towers estate, at the west end of Hornchurch High Street.[2]

The cinema was commissioned by David J. James, a brewing industrialist turned cinema impresario, for his D.J. James Cinema Circuit. It was designed by Leslie Hagger Kemp (1899–1997) and Frederick Edward Tasker, of the Kemp & Tasker partnership, which designed new and renovated existing cinemas for James' independent chain. Opening its doors on 3 August 1935, it provided facilities including an auditorium to seat 1799 patrons; a shallow stage with dressing rooms; a café-ballroom on the first floor that could seat 200; a cosmetics saloon for use by ladies; and an ample car park. The ornate interior of the cinema, including the auditorium, was designed by the firm Clark & Fenn.[3][4] The opening programme was a double-bill screening of The Phantom Light starring Binnie Hale and Vagabond Lady starring Robert Young.[5]

In March 1937 James sold his chain of cinemas for a considerable sum[clarification needed] to Eastern Cinemas (GCF) Ltd which were then taken over by the Odeon chain in 1943. The characteristic neon ODEON signage was then applied covering the word Towers (which is cut into the fabric of the building but later restored in 2010).

The cinema closed on 6 October 1973, with a screening of the James Bond film Live and Let Die as the final show. The building was converted into a Top Rank bingo hall (later Mecca Bingo) later in 1973, and it remained in use as a bingo hall until the facility closed in 2015.[5][6]

Although alterations to the foyer and lower auditorium have been made, many original features still remain. It is believed[by whom?] that the highly ornate coffered ceiling in the café-ballroom remains intact although now boarded to create lower ceilings and currently subdivided into offices. The private boxes haven't been used since the cinema was converted so have been preserved.

Leslie Hagger Kemp designed the former Union Cinema in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, built in 1936–37 which has achieved Grade II listed status; he was associated with the Regal in Camberwell built in 1938–39 also listed at Grade II. Apart from cinemas, Kemp and Tasker won the Daily Mail 'Ideal House' competition in 1934 (at the same time they were working on The Towers Building).[citation needed]

Campaign to save from demolition

The building was sold to the retail chain Lidl and was to be demolished to be replaced by a supermarket.[7] Following a campaign to save the building,[8] Havering London Borough Council temporarily protected it in 2015 so Historic England could assess its heritage value.[9] Demolition has been opposed by the heritage charity, the Twentieth Century Society.[10]

An approach was made by the Everyman Cinemas chain to purchase the building, but submitted their offer too late. In August 2016, Havering Council approved the scheme to demolish the Towers Cinema. Lidl have announced that they plan to retain the “Towers” concrete lettering and to create a public art installation at street level.[11][12]

See also

References

  1. ^ Craig, Zoë (30 August 2016). "Beautiful Art Deco Cinema To Be Demolished". Londonist. Archived from the original on 31 August 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Foley, Michael (2005). Front-Line Essex. The History Press. ISBN 9780750952545. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  3. ^ Evans, Brian. Hornchurch, Elm Park And Harold Wood Through Time. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445628783. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  4. ^ Cherry, Bridget; O'Brien, Charles; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2005). The Buildings of England: London. Vol. 5. East. London, New Haven, [Conn.]: Yale University Press. p. 178. ISBN 9780300107012. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  5. ^ a b Roe, Ken. "Odeon Hornchurch". Cinema Treasures. Archived from the original on 3 September 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Towers Cinema Hornchurch, Essex". Modernist Britain. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Havering Council halts demolition of Mecca Bingo Building in Hornchurch". Havering.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  8. ^ Chloe Farand. "Bingo battlers turn to listed status to save Hornchurch Mecca Bingo - News". Romford Recorder. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  9. ^ Sam Gelder. "Mecca Bingo Hornchurch demolition halted by Havering Council - News". Romford Recorder. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  10. ^ "C20 opposes demolition of former Towers Cinema and changes to Toastrack — The Twentieth Century Society". www.c20society.org.uk. 5 May 2016. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  11. ^ Nagesh, Ashitha (30 August 2016). "Historic Art Deco cinema to be bulldozed to make way for new Lidl". Metro. Archived from the original on 31 August 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Lidl Hornchurch". Lidl. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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