Comments on: God vs the movies

By: Cocktails

Cocktails — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:05:11 +0000

I don’t think anyone could even begin to understand the council’s attitude to arts and heritage on our side of town Hoops. When they’re not cutting the museums and libraries service, they’re proposing ‘integrated solutions’ with housing, shops and cinemas in the centre of town which spectacularly collapse under closer inspection.

I know it’s difficult to re-use old buildings which were built with another era in mind, but as you point out there are uses – even if its a boozer or a bingo hall. At least that still allows ‘the general public’ some kind of access to the building. Although I suppose the chuch would argue that their intentions are exactly the same!

Tooting Granada looks fantastic (good old Suggs). My family are originally from the Balham / Tooting area – I wonder if they went there…

By: hoops hooley

hoops hooley — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:35:47 +0000

It's kind of reassuring that there are cinema operators out there who think they could run the place at a profit but I don't know why it should be such a problem for the council not to give it a go, particularly if there's a lot of local support for it. There are a few old classic cinemas near me: one's a bank now, another an off-licence, and the Tooting Granada, another with a great history, is one among many now doing brisk business as a bingo hall (cue more religious metaphors?). At least it's been preserved in its original style and it does become a cinema again (sort of) on Open House weekend when you can get shown around by the bloke who used to be cinema manager.

By: Cocktails

Cocktails — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:37:15 +0000

If you wanted to look at it from a particular angle, you could say that the cinema is like a church – rows of people staring blankly in front of them, escapism etc. etc. I’ve been to Finsbury Park Astoria/Rainbow (now a UCKG church) and its done up really nicely inside, works well as a happy clappy kind of church.

By: BLTP

BLTP — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:18:41 +0000

I’d got for cinema everytime not sure why they can’t build a purpose built church. There must be enough people in the are to support a small scale picture house.

By: Cocktails

Cocktails — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:12:16 +0000

WFC were probably assuming that no one wanted to vote, so they could sneakily save a bit of money on the side. And I have to defend the local population here. Lots of people are unpathetic and unquestioning, but there is a pretty strong coalition of anti-council campaigning groups – like the McGuffins, Fight the Height and my local residents association. Even Stella Creasey, MP in waiting, has been pretty vocal in slagging them off.

By: 23Daves

23Daves — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:54:31 +0000

Nothing Waltham Forest Council say or do actually surprises me anymore. Apparently they failed to deliver ballot cards to half the properties during the European election either, so nobody knew where their polling station was. I had to ring up to find out, and by doing so discovered that the number they put on their website for more information was also incorrect.

There again, I suppose communities get the politicians and councils they deserve, and the population of WF are so unquestioning and apathetic that they can get away with it.

On another topic entirely, you mentioned on my blog ages ago that you had an article Everett True wrote about Riot Grrrl you could post on to me. Do you still have it? On the offchance you do, could you drop me a line on dave.bryant23 AT gmail.com? I completely and totally forgot about your message, and thanks for your offer.