60-715: The Phoenix Cinema is an independent single-screen community cinema in East Finchley , London, England. It was built in 1910 and opened in 1912 as the East Finchley Picturedrome . It is one of the oldest continuously-running cinemas in the UK and shows mainly art-house films. It is distinctive on East Finchley's high road by its large neon sign on the side of the building. Its patrons are Benedict Cumberbatch , Maureen Lipman , Mike Leigh , Ken Loach , Michael Palin , Bill Paterson and Mark Kermode . It
120-631: A British consortium of cable channels formed Granada Media Group plc , which a year later acquired Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Television plc . In 1997, Granada expanded onto the North American market by launching Granada Entertainment USA . In March 1998, Granada announced their plans to launch a home video unit, eventually signing a five-year deal with Video Collection International to launch Granada Video in September. Granada also bid together with Carlton Communications and BSkyB for one of
180-529: A double-bill of two features, a major and minor release, a short and a newsreel, all at the same prices as the chains. Advertising, neglected by the Coliseum, was embraced by The Rex and it was always keeping up with innovations from the larger distributors. The Rex's programming policy in the late 1930s allowed it to tailor its presentations to its public's tastes. British films were therefore favoured and popular films were presented that had previously gone round
240-429: A film screening); Toddler Time (an activity followed by a 30-minute screening of an animation suitable for 2- to 4-year-olds); Bringing up Baby (enabling parents and carers to enjoy the latest releases with their babies of up to a year old); Film studies programme; Cinememories (free dementia friendly screenings supported by a grant from The Mercer's Company); school screenings, holiday workshops and charity screenings. At
300-404: A new canopy stretching across the width of the cinema were accompanied by a neon sign with the new name, The Rex. The Rex opened as an independent cinema compiling its own programmes, unlike the nearby chain cinemas, whose schedules were decided by their allied production companies. Advertising from 1938 reassured the public that "If it is good it's on our screen". There was a full programme with
360-414: A red version of Granada's north-pointing arrow as its logo. This was a home entertainment equipment rental chain, similar to Radio Rentals and Rediffusion . The mainstay of the business from the late 1950s, and through the 1960s and 70s, was television set rental; during this period television receivers were expensive to purchase and were often unreliable. In 1978, the company expanded its operations into
420-488: A scattered hamlet, but by 1860 it was the most populous part of Finchley. Badly bombed during World War 2 , and with the subsequent rebuilding, the street pattern of the Old Village was destroyed. However, the area retains a strong community feeling. The area collectively named Finchley , which included East Finchley (East End), Finchley Central (Church End) and North Finchley, was a parish until its incorporation into
480-491: A similar name. Aside from media, Granada's other main strength was in the catering business. It opened its first motorway service area in 1964, and established a chain of service areas across the British motorway network. Granada was the first British service station operator to move away from fancy dining and instead offer a basic but quicker service. Soon, all the other operators took on this idea. Granada's hospitality arm
540-404: A strategy to separate Granada's media and catering interests. The demerger took place in early 2001, with the media business becoming Granada Ltd . The motorway service stations were soon rebranded as Moto . In 2002 speculation began to centre on when, not if, Carlton and Granada would merge. In 2003 a merger was agreed between the two companies, with Granada shareholders owning two-thirds of
600-468: Is Cherry Tree Wood , approx. 4.5 ha in size, and contains both woodland and grassland. Nearby parks include Coldfall Wood to the north, and Highgate Wood , Queens Wood , and Hampstead Heath to the south. Also close to the tube station is the head office of McDonald's UK; this is seen by the flags and logos on the building. The Archer , founded in 1993, is East Finchley's free monthly community newspaper , run by volunteers. It takes its name from
660-495: Is home to two mixed non-selective non-denominational secondary schools - Archer Academy (opened 2013) and Christ's College (mixed, as of 2018) and a mixed Roman Catholic secondary school - Bishop Douglass Catholic School . Pupils on the east ( Muswell Hill ) side of the village also attend Fortismere School (mixed comprehensive, which falls under the London Borough of Haringey Local Education Authority). According to
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#1732773214205720-468: Is now included in the new constituency of Finchley and Golders Green , currently represented by a Conservative Member of Parliament. East Finchley ward is represented on Barnet Council by three elected Labour Councillors. East Finchley Underground station is marked by a well-known statue of an archer by Eric Aumonier in the Art Deco style. The archer is pointing his arrow towards the entrance to
780-610: Is run by a charity as a community cinema. The Cinematograph Act 1909 introduced laws to make cinemas safer. As a result, more purpose-built cinemas began to appear from 1910 onwards including this one. The Phoenix Cinema was built in 1910 by Premier Electric Theatres, however the company went bankrupt before the cinema could be opened. In 1912, the building was purchased by businessmen who had been involved in setting up East Sheen Picturedrome. They finally opened it as 'The East Finchley Picturedrome' in May 1912 with 428 seats. The first screening
840-423: The 2011 UK Census , 72% of the ward's population was White (52% White British, 4% Irish, 16% Other White), 10% Asian British (5% Indian, 1% Pakistani, 1% Chinese, 3% Other Asian), 7% Black British (5% African, 1% Caribbean, 1% Other Black); the remaining population consists of mixed ethnic groups (2.0% White and Black African/Caribbean, 1.9% White and Asian, 1.7% Other Mixed), Arab and others . The largest religion
900-911: The Greater London Council rejected the proposal. After the consequent public inquiry in April 1984 permission for the office block was granted. Following widespread opposition by local residents (with the patronage of Maureen Lipman ) the GLC offered a grant to the Trust to purchase the cinema in June 1985. The building and adjoining land were bought by the Trust in December 1985. In 1999 an English Heritage review resulted in some thirty cinemas acquiring listed status in recognition of their historic and architectural importance. English Heritage recognised
960-677: The ITV Digital Channels Ltd pay-TV business, which at the time offered two channels, Men and Motors and Granada Plus . ITV plc has since taken full control of GSB and closed down archive channel Plus in favour of ITV3. Granada also owned 50% shares in ITV2 and the ITV News Channel , and a 20% share of Independent Television News . It also owned 45% of TV3 , Ireland. Charles Allen was chief executive of Granada until 2 February 2004, when he became chief executive of
1020-596: The 234 serving Barnet, The Spires from Highgate Wood and the 603 running between Swiss Cottage and Muswell Hill. Housing in East Finchley is diverse in its nature, encompassing many housing styles, from 19th-century terraced housing, large 30s houses, and multimillion-pound mansions on The Bishop's Avenue . The three eleven-storey tower blocks of Prospect Ring & Norfolk Close are visible for miles around. A further even taller towerblock in Prospect Ring
1080-599: The London Borough of Barnet. It has the greenest high road in London. East Finchley is situated 5.4 miles (8.7 km) northwest of Charing Cross . Geographically, it is separated from the rest of Finchley by the North Circular , with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central (Church End) to the northwest. East Finchley (East End) was first mentioned in 1365, when it formed
1140-455: The Trust enlarged the upper foyer by repositioning the stairs and creating a new entrance to the auditorium. In 2010 there was a renovation to celebrate the cinema's centenary designed by HMDW Architects. This introduced a new café-bar with a balcony, reworked the external signage and foyer, and restored the auditorium's barrel-vaulted ceiling, and Art Deco panels. The Phoenix has also appeared in many films, TV series and photo shoots, providing
1200-419: The UK digital terrestrial television licences. They won the licence, though BSkyB was excluded from the company, ONdigital , on competition grounds. It went on air in 1998, was rebranded to ITV Digital in 2001, then entered voluntary liquidation before closing in 2002. In 2000, Granada purchased United News & Media's television interests, namely Meridian Broadcasting and Anglia Television ; Granada
1260-605: The UK (the only older ones having started life as theatres). Time Out , the arts magazine, describes the Phoenix as the best single-screen cinema in London. Film critic Mark Kermode has written that the Phoenix Cinema "remains the single most significant cinema in my development as a bona fide cinema obsessive." There is a listed Neo-Georgian public library located on the High Road opposite Leslie Road. Behind
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#17327732142051320-597: The aims of this community. It is located behind the site of the Congregational Church that had been demolished in 1965 to make way for the shops of Viceroy Parade. The independent Phoenix Cinema (once called the Rex and before that the Coliseum ) is located on the High Road, and regularly shows films with more individual appeal than is the case with the cinema chains. It is the oldest purpose-built cinema in
1380-470: The ancient county of Middlesex in 1878; Finchley was incorporated into Greater London in 1965. Although most of East Finchley falls into the parliamentary constituency of Finchley and Golders Green , East Finchley is a village in its own right, and not considered to be part of the town of Finchley. The land on which most of East Finchley now stands was once part of the Bishop of London 's hunting ground, to
1440-402: The auditorium. The original 1910 barrel vaulted ceiling was retained, but decorative Art Deco panels were added along the walls. The auditorium was reversed, with the screen moving to the opposite end. This involved considerable alteration to the flooring to create a rake for the seating. The colour scheme, like today, was red, bronze and gold. The number of seats increased to 528. A projection box
1500-497: The backdrop for anything from educational videos to fashion shoots to TV series and big feature films. Among the cinema's biggest dramatic appearances were in TV comedy. In Channel 4 's off-beat comedy series Black Books , the show's anti-hero came in when his new alarm system locked him out of his own shop and a hapless Jez tries to impress Zahra on a visit to The Phoenix in series 7, episode 3 of Peep Show . Another notable appearance
1560-456: The beginning of the Trust's ownership, there were barely funds to run the cinema. The heating was antiquated. So was the projection equipment with its carbon arcs. Programming was another challenge. Contemporary Films had won a quota system against mainstream distributors for newly released American and UK films, which meant that the Phoenix was able to "claim" every fourth or fifth one. In 1989
1620-550: The big circuits, allowing patrons to see films they had missed elsewhere or to see a favourite film a second time around. Sunday showings of older films and a standard mid-week change of programme (when the circuits were holding a film for a whole week) provided a rich diet for even the most enthusiastic cinemagoer. In 1973 the Rex was acquired by the Granada Group . The programming policy changed to commercial circuit releases and
1680-493: The cinema in protest at its hosting of the Seret Film Festival, an Israeli state-sponsored cinema festival. Francis Coleman , who was prominent in the campaign to save the Phoenix, was the Trust's first Chair. The current chair is James Kessler QC. In addition to a full programme of screenings, the Trust carries on educational and community work including Kids Club (an activity for 5- to 10-year-olds, followed by
1740-404: The cinema was no longer economically viable. Charles Cooper, owner of Contemporary Films, wanted to sell the cinema and retire. Upon his retirement, the fate of the cinema hung very much in the balance. In 1983, a property company applied to Barnet Council for planning permission to build an office block on the site occupied by the cinema. The Barnet Planning Committee approved the development but
1800-560: The decline of this chain and others. Granada purchased Telefusion (a Blackpool-based rental company) and DVR. It went on to merge with Robinson Rentals, moving the Granada base from Sharston Road, Manchester, to the Robinson building on Ampthill Road, Bedford . The two main players at this time were Granada TV Rental (GTVR) and Radio Rentals. Both were experiencing a decline in business and in 2000 they merged to form Boxclever . Red Arrow
1860-539: The domestic videocassette recorder (VCR) rental market. This new household item was also a high-cost purchase: for example, a JVC HR-3300 VHS recorder cost £680 in 1978, equivalent to £4,900 in 2023. In the 1980s, the rental of satellite TV reception equipment became another opportunity for the company to supplement its declining income. As electronic product prices fell and their reliability improved, consumer behaviour changed from renting to buying electrical goods. This drift away from rental eventually resulted in
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1920-666: The editorial offices' address. During the 1980s, Granada became involved in the British Satellite Broadcasting satellite television company. This went on air in March 1990, but merged with Sky Television in November 1990 to form British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), in which Granada had a minority shareholding for some time. In 1991, Granada Theatres Ltd was sold to Bass . In 1994, Granada acquired London Weekend Television . Two years later, Granada, LWT and
1980-418: The eponymous statue at East Finchley tube station. In Evelyn Waugh 's satirical novel Scoop , Lord Copper, owner of the newspaper Daily Beast , lived in East Finchley. "That evening, Mr Salter, foreign editor of The Beast, was summoned to dinner at his chief's country seat at East Finchley." Granada plc Granada plc (previously called Granada Ltd , Granada Group plc , and Granada Media plc )
2040-572: The films Nine ( Rob Marshall , 2009), Nowhere Boy ( Sam Taylor-Wood , 2009) and Eddie Redmayne was featured sitting in the auditorium in the film My Week with Marilyn ( Simon Curtis , 2011). It was also featured in Season 4, episode 4 of the TV series The Durrells . It will also appear in a feature film due out in 2017 starring Annette Bening and Jamie Bell based on the novel Films Stars Don't Die in Liverpool . The Phoenix also appears in
2100-436: The first in the area to show a sound film, screening Al Jolson's The Singing Fool . In 1937, the building was redesigned and rebuilt in an Art Deco style and reopened as the "Rex" in September 1938. The alterations of 1938 were a response to competition from 1000 seater "picture palaces" being built by chains such as Odeon , ABC and Gaumont in the surrounding area. Cinema interior designers Mollo & Egan redesigned
2160-511: The importance of the Phoenix's original 1910 barrel-vaulted ceiling and the 1938 Mollo and Egan decorative wall panels and in 2000 the cinema received a Grade II listing. As one of the earliest purpose-built cinemas in the UK and one of even fewer still operating as a cinema, the Phoenix is therefore protected from demolition or damaging alterations. In May 2024, during the Israel-Hamas war , Ken Loach and Mike Leigh resigned as patrons of
2220-402: The improved sight lines from the seating raised the standard of the Rex to meet those of its north London competitors. The front of the cinema was transformed by architects Howes & Jackman with a move to the sleek lines of 1930s art deco architecture. The turrets and decorative plasterwork were removed to give the exterior a more 'modern' look. Glazed black tiles set against cream plaster and
2280-458: The library are some award-winning allotments , owned by Barnet Council. Adjacent to these are the Fuelland allotments which are held in trust. The massive St. Pancras and Islington Cemetery is located on the High Road. Established in 1854, it is the oldest municipal cemetery in London and the largest. The Victorian painter Ford Madox Brown is buried there. Opposite East Finchley tube station
2340-567: The new company. That the new company was in effect a takeover by Granada of Carlton was admitted in the first annual report of the new company, ITV plc , which treated the company as effectively a continuation of Granada plc (with the Carlton merger regarded as an acquisition) for accounting purposes. The Granada name continues on as the official name of the North West ITV region and its on air regional news programme Granada Reports and
2400-512: The people using the road. The area of "East Finchley Old Village" around Church Lane was west of the common and Bulls Lane (now Church Lane) dates back to at least the 17th century. With the coming of the Great Northern Railway in 1868, the area began to emerge, and the property was built gradually between the 1870s and the 1930s. However, it was not until 1914 that a more recognisable East Finchley High Road and surrounding area
2460-550: The previously steady increase in admissions stalled. The EFNA (East Finchley Neighbourhood Association) produced a petition and an accusatory article, Granada Wrecks the Rex, was published by Keith Lumley resulting in a new owner and a programming policy reversal. The cinema took its current name in 1975 when it was purchased and run by the distribution company Contemporary Films and concentrated on independent, foreign and specialist films, as it does today. By 1983, audience patterns were changing and Contemporary Films considered that
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2520-610: The publishing business in the 1960s: it bought Mayflower Books from their founding U.S. publisher, Dell Publishing, and Panther Books (including Paladin Books , founded 1966 by Sonny Mehta ) by 1968, which imprints continued to be run separately editorially, and added Rupert Hart-Davis and MacGibbon and Kee which it combined to form Hart-Davis, MacGibbon in 1972. Eventually the various publishing companies were combined as Granada Publishing . William Collins, Sons acquired Granada Publishing in 1983, renaming it Grafton Books after
2580-445: The south of Finchley Common , first recorded around 1400. The Bishop of London built a road through his land, named The Bishop's Avenue, which still exists today. Another road extended further north, weaving through what is now Market Place, The Walks, King Street, and Oak Lane. As a result, pubs such as The Old White Lion, The Bald Faced Stag, and The Five Bells (on East End Road), all of which survive today, sprang up to provide rest for
2640-529: The statue was not erected until 1940. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line which serves the city (via Bank ) and the west end (via Charing Cross ) with trains every 2–3 minutes. Buses also serve the high street with the 263 route going from Barnet Hospital to Highbury Barn ; the 143 bus linking East Finchley to Archway, London and Brent Cross ; the 102 from Edmonton Green ,
2700-520: The tunnel which starts south of the station and runs for 17.3 miles (27.8 km) to the end of the Northern line at Morden . For many years this was the longest tunnel in the world. There was allegedly an arrow at Morden Station to match the archer at East Finchley, that was stolen a few months after the station was opened. However, East Finchley was not served by the Underground until 1939 and
2760-527: The video for the Scissor Sisters track " I Don't Feel Like Dancin' " and was recently featured in a piece directed by Samantha Morton at the Daydreaming with Stanley Kubrick exhibition at Somerset House in London. The longest film shoot at the cinema so far was for the British comedy Mr Love , made in 1985 starring Barry Jackson . Following the adventures of a projectionist, the Phoenix
2820-461: Was Christianity , claimed by 41% of the population, followed by Judaism and Islam claimed by 9% and 7% of the population respectively. Of the population, 36% either stated they had no religion (27%) or did not state their religion (9%). The Ismaili Muslim community, headed by the Aga Khan , worship at a Jamatkhana opened in 1996, which had been built in harmony with the neighbourhood as per
2880-672: Was a British conglomerate best known as the parent from 1954 to 2004 of the Manchester -based Granada Television . The company agreed a corporate takeover of Carlton Communications in 2004 and Granada plc subsequently became ITV plc on 2 February 2004. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index . Granada has its origins in Sidney Bernstein 's Granada Theatres Ltd , a cinema company founded in Dover in 1930. The company
2940-583: Was a major star of the film for which the Phoenix's chief projectionist served as a technical adviser. 51°35′19″N 0°09′50″W / 51.5885°N 0.1639°W / 51.5885; -0.1639 East Finchley East Finchley is an area in North London , immediately north of Hampstead Heath . Like neighbouring Muswell Hill , it straddles the London Boroughs of Barnet and Haringey , with most of East Finchley falling into
3000-560: Was at its strongest in the 1990s under Gerry Robinson 's chairmanship of the group. At one time the company owned and operated 75% of the motorway service areas. It expanded into other areas of catering, including most notably the acquisition in 1996 of Forte Group . This included rival operator Welcome Break (later sold due to regulations), roadside chains Little Chef and Happy Eater , and Forte's hotels (including Travelodge and Le Méridien ). In July 2000, Granada merged with Compass Group plc to form Granada Compass plc , as part of
3060-533: Was built over the foyer to satisfy the requirements of the Cinematograph Act 1909 , with shutters over the windows to the auditorium which could be closed in case of fire. Kershaw Kalee II arc film projectors with RCA sound heads and an RCA high-fidelity 6-valve amplifier were installed. Behind the screen were two RCA loudspeakers, where they remained for over 60 years. Modern heating and ventilation systems were also installed. These alterations together with
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#17327732142053120-644: Was completed in 2021. Only one state primary school , Martin Primary School (Ofsted outstanding) is situated in East Finchley itself, but the east and southern parts of N2 are covered by the catchment of Tetherdown, Coldfall and Highgate Primary Schools (all within the London Borough of Haringey ). Pupils on the west side of the village attend Brookland Infant and Junior Schools which adjoin Christ's College. There are two faith primary schools - Holy Trinity (CofE), and Eden Primary School (Jewish). East Finchley
3180-593: Was forced to sell the HTV broadcasting business (to Carlton) for competition reasons, though it held onto HTV's network production business. It also acquired Border Television in 2001, from Capital Radio plc . Until 2000, there was a widespread high street chain called Granada TV Rental in the UK, Canada and in the US. The UK headquarters were originally in Manchester. The company started life as Red Arrow TV Rental, using
3240-555: Was in the remake of the classic series Randall and Hopkirk , with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer . Neil Jordan chose the Phoenix as an early 20th-century cinema for a scene in his 1994 box-office hit, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles . Jordan returned to the Phoenix to film scenes in his adaptation of Graham Greene 's novel The End of the Affair . The Phoenix has also appeared in
3300-599: Was incorporated as Granada Ltd in 1934, with Granada Theatres Ltd turned into a subsidiary. Granada has been listed on the London Stock Exchange in one form or another since 1935. It was awarded the North of England ITV franchise in 1954, broadcasting as Granada Television . The company also established a chain of television rental shops from 1959 onwards, expanding in 1968 by purchasing Robinson Rentals for £8 million from David Robinson . Granada entered
3360-673: Was of a film about the Titanic which had recently sunk. The natural fall of the land was used for the sloped seating with the screen at the High Road end. In 1924, the cinema's name changed to the "Coliseum". In 1925, the cinema was sold to Home Counties Theatres Ltd, which also owned the Athenaeum Picture Playhouse and the Summerland Cinema, both in Muswell Hill . At this time, the typical programme
3420-403: Was one of a number of experimental companies launched by Sidney and Alex Bernstein's Granada Group and was, apart from Granada Cinemas and Granada Television, by far the most successful. Others included Green Arrow – artificial plant and flower leasing to companies – and Black Arrow – office furniture and equipment leasing. This company was disposed of and has no connection with any other venture of
3480-471: Was silent movies accompanied by live music, plus variety acts such as singers, magicians and comedians. But in 1928, British cinema went through a huge transformation when the first sound film, The Jazz Singer , featuring the voice of the film's star Al Jolson , premiered in the Piccadilly Theatre, London. Cinemas across London started the transition to sound and on 22 July 1929 this cinema was
3540-626: Was used to brand productions of ITV plc companies on channels other than ITV branded channels in the United Kingdom until it was replaced by the ITV Studios brand in 2009. At the time of the merger with Carlton Communications, Granada was mainly involved in the television business. It owned seven ITV companies – Granada Television , London Weekend Television , Yorkshire Television , Tyne Tees Television , Meridian Broadcasting , Anglia Television and Border Television . It also owned
3600-525: Was visible. From around 1547 Finchley had a parish vestry , which became a local board in 1878, an urban district council in 1895, and finally a municipal borough council between 1933 and 1965. The area is now part of the London Borough of Barnet . From 1959 to 1992 the Finchley constituency was represented in Parliament by Margaret Thatcher , UK Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. Finchley
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