The Rialto 1948 (collection of Allen Eyles and Keith Skone)
The war is over and the Rialto's had a facelift and a change of name.
Oh dear. Some time in the 80s and it's looking a little shabby. The Princess parked outside doesn't help.
27th June, 2009.
Limbo - the cinema awaits its fate. About an hour ago.
Next door. Hang on... what's on that poster?
That's nice.
Truly hope you get your cinema! I have fond memories of visiting this one in the late forties / early fifties as a kid from Forest Hill. Weren’t there three cinemas in this area once? I seem to remember the Granada, the Century, and one other – but I am getting old!
That surely is a sign!
oops, it says ‘Croydon’… Them too, then!
Very “Enterprise”ing of Croydon to have “Discovered some Local Arts” on the Bromley side of the Triangle!
Great poster! Bromley are really full of it – what a bunch of hypocrites.
Does anyone know how many of the original features are left inside?
Hi Louise
A local resident took photo’s of the inside just before Gala Bingo closed it’s doors. The interior seems to have an abundance of original features, it’s absolutely beautiful. If it’s not listed it certainly should be.
We’d love to see those photos of the interior features.
My Dad occupied one of the shops along side the cinema, he ran a gentlemans hairdressers. I think one of the shops was a newsagents. I have a recollection of the owners of the cinema/bingo buying/owning the properties with the intention of extending but apparently planning permission was turned down. It is a very sketchy memory. The properties were pulled down and never replaced. My dad moved across the road opposite the bingo and ran his gentlemans hairdressing business there for approximately 30 years. He retired 8 years ago and his shop briefly became an estate agents but has now reverted back to a barbers shop.
Looking at the building now really is a sorry sight. The second picture really shows what a wonderful building it is. I really hope we can get what we want and have this building restored to its former glory!
keep on keeping on!
ollie
That second picture does invite you in. There’s a similar building in Herne Hill (in the parade opposite the station) though not so grand.
Wow, great pictures (although I quite liked Austin Princesses).
Shame it’s been left to fall into such a state of disrepair. Are there any more images of it anywhere?
My uncle had a Princess – everyone thought it was the most futuristic car they had ever seen. It even had a light that flashed when you hadn’t put your seatbelt on.
So, it’s an Austin Princess not a Ford Granada!
The middle photo (Granada Cinema) shows shops in the space now occupied by advertising hoardings. What would it take to bring Church Road on a par with the other two sides of the Upper Norwood Triangle?
I wondered about that too – maybe someone will be able to say what happened to the shops. Planning oversight perhaps?