TOOTING REWIND: A look back at the history of Tooting's most iconic building

First opened as The Granada in 1931, Tooting's iconic building attracted a wealth of popularity and fame over the years.

This story was originally exclusive for our newsletter subscribers. Sign up at the bottom of the article!

Architect Cecil A. Massey designed the building as a cinema and theatre for Sidney Bernstein, as part of his Granada cinema chain.

Theodore Komisargevsky, a Russian theatre designer, created the grand interior - also creating something similar for the Granada Cinema in Woolwich.

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony in 1931 was an epic event, packed to the brim with excited local residents.

It is reported that over 2000 people had to be turned away due to limited space.

The first films shown in the cinema that night were Two Crowded Hours and Monte Carlo.

Attendees of the ceremony also received an exclusive performance by the trumpeters from The Life Guards.

A flourishing venue

The Granada quickly became an important venue in the borough and attracted performances from some big names.

Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, and the Bee Gees are just a few of the megastars that performed on the stage.

The Beatles also famously performed two sold-out sets on in June 1965.

A steady decline and tragedy

The Granada cinema screenings, unfortunately, began to decline in popularity throughout the 60s.

The council decided to apply for listed status in 1972 - worried that the Granada would close and be demolished.

It was granted Grade II status.

Then tragedy struck, July 1973 saw The Granada flood following heavy storms.

Damage to the building's organ and declining popularity meant that The Granada closed on 10 November 1973.

The final films shown were Perfect Friday and The Man Called Noon.

Bingo!

After remaining unused for three years, the iconic building was reopened in 1976 as Granada Bingo Club.

Granada managed the club until 1991 before it was taken over by Gala Bingo and subsequently renamed Gala Bingo Club Tooting.

The building was granted Grade I listing in October 2000, making it one of three former cinemas in the UK of its kind.

Gala Bingo Club Tooting is now listed as an 'asset of community value' after a year-long campaign by local resident Dan Watkins in December 2015.

Find all the latest news from Tooting on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.