Tooting residents launched a campaign to recognise a cultural and music landmark after submitting an application to a BBC programme to urgently restore an autographed foyer wall boasting the extraordinary roll-call of musicians who performed there.
Originally inaugurated as a cinema in 1931 as part of Sidney Bernstein’s Granada Group, the Art Deco Grade I-listed Tooting Granada bingo hall saw Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles grace its stage.
Last to perform there were the Bee Gees in 1968 before it was converted into a bingo hall, and today still draws a large crowd as the home of Buzz Bingo.
Spearheaded by Wandsworth historian Geoff Simmons, the campaigners have not only applied to The Repair Shop to restore the bingo hall’s iconic Roll of Fame but also propose to put up an external blue plaque in recognition of the hall’s contribution to Tooting’s vivid music history.
Simmons said: “It will raise awareness of an aspect of the building that touches so many people but is not widely known about.
“It will also go a long way in brightening up the space which has made such a historic contribution to the area.
“I think it is very apt to do so in the year that Wandsworth is the London Borough of Culture.”
Granada historian Lynda Cazeaux has also been integral in leading the research into the Roll of Fame and identified many of the names in preparation for The Repair Shop application.
She said: “I think a lot of people now walk past it but don’t know its history.
“In 2000 it was given Grade I-listed status, on a par with the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace, which is amazing and it is just on everyone’s doorstep in Tooting.”
The proposed plaque to commemorate its history will be relatively small at 44cm, and Simmons believes that it will not interfere with the architectural integrity of the building.
However, due to the listed nature of the building set by Historic England, the group have been encouraged to submit a planning application by Wandsworth Council, which they fear could be a lengthy and expensive process with no guarantee of a satisfactory outcome.
Simmons has raised funds for the proposed plaque through his renowned community Walks and Talks, a regular series of interactive guided walks around south west London.
As a passionate local history expert, he has independently spent 12 years promoting local heritage in Wandsworth, engaging with thousands of people of all ages and is regularly invited to local schools to give talks.
In total, he has put up 17 plaques commemorating sites of historic and cultural significance, with his most recent being on the site where the Sex Pistols came together to rehearse for the first time 50 years ago.
Most of his tours are free and draw a significant crowd, with the Tooting Granada campaign being promoted through his Show Time events, on the steps of the bingo hall.
The Walks and Talks are an engaging way to connect with the local neighbourhood, with each walk centered around a different theme, exploring the area through food and music as well as confronting history.
Each walk takes participants through the streets of south west London, door-to-door, re-imagining the area through the ages by stepping back into the lives of past residents and significant individuals who developed the area into the cosmopolitan metropolis it is today.
Join Simmons on his next Tooting Granada Tour here or to find out more about the Tooting Granada Blue Plaque proposal and see one of Geoff’s famous summer tours in action, watch the video below.
Feature image: Geoff Simmons
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