Bruce Grove Entertainment

Movie-going in Bruce Grove

Bruce Grove became a destination for movie-going locally when Bruce Grove Cinema opened in 1921. It was an independent cinema initiated by Tottenham Cinema & Entertainment Company issuing shares in 1920 for investment to support their development – and the venture was a success. The cinema had a capacity of 1,791 seats, which was larger than any other local cinema. With its distinctive tall tower looking over Bruce Grove, at night it was illuminated, making it look quite magical.

(The illuminated Bruce Grove Cinema in 1938, taken by a member of the Tottenham Camera Club. From the collections and © Bruce Castle Museum and Archive)

The cinema is best described by local resident Jim Clark (1925-2018), who in his reminiscence of Tottenham’s entertainments singled out Bruce Grove Cinema as his ‘favourite’. This oral history is part of the collections at Bruce Castle Museum and Archive:

‘Situated rather close to the railway, trains could be heard puffing their way out of Bruce Grove Station towards White Hart Lane, not very frequently but it marred the illusion of reality. […] The main entrance to the Bruce Grove Cinema had a glamour all of its own. Up a few steps and through glass panelled doors with large, curved brass handles to the centrally-placed glass-surrounded ticket kiosk—sometimes we took Circle seats and went up the stairs which were carpeted in red rubber. […] It was a comfortable cinema seating 1500+ and the fine quality screen had rounded corners. To the bottom corner was a clock illuminated in subdued deep red for those who needed to know the time. The sound system was excellent. Other cinemas never seemed so homely.’

(View of Bruce Grove Cinema in 1927 when it was showing the film The Magic Garden, as advertised on the large bill poster on the side of the building. From the collections and © Bruce Castle Museum and Archive)

By 1963 Bruce Grove Cinema closed like many others, with the decline of cinema-going. After its closure, the ballroom nextdoor was converted into cinema screens – this was in 1974.  Following the fate of so many other former cinemas, the original Art Deco building of the Bruce Grove cinema was taken over as a bingo hall. The company that ran the bingo hall also did the conversion of the new cinema. It was called Studios 5, 6, 7, 8. It was very welcome as Tottenham had been without a cinema for many years. 

Eventually the former Bruce Grove cinema became the venue for the Freedom Ark church until that moved to Tottenham Town Hall; and in more recent times it has reinvented itself yet again to become the splendid Roller Nation.

Dancing down Bruce Grove

During the 1950s and ‘60s, what became the new cinema of Studio 5,6,7,8 was previously the Bruce Grove Dance Hall. It was on the first floor above the parade of shops.Some locals recall going there to hear Acker Bilk the clarinetist, whilst others remember the Dave Clark Five (who came from Tottenham) had a regular gig there before they went over to the Royal Dance Hall on the High Road. Today the former dance hall turned cinema has now become the Regency Banqueting Hall.

(Studio 5, 6, 7, 8 – cinema that replaced the Bruce Grove Dance Hall. From the collections and © Bruce Castle Museum and Archive)

Shady Grove Club

In the 1970s Edward Daley approached the Trades and Labour Club to hire the Rear Hall of No.7 Bruce Grove to run a night club mainly aimed at the recently arrived African Caribbean population. The Shady Grove Club became an important centre for reggae music. Avril Nanton remembers working there for a while running a comedy club at the Shady Grove - one of the first Black women-led comedy nights in London.

Roller Nation

Nowadays, local residents can enjoy a spot of roller disco on Bruce Grove at Roller Nation! Tottenham has a history of roller-skating, and Roller Nation continues the legacy of the Canadian Rink that once stood next to Tottenham Palace on the High Road. 

(Courtesy: Roller Nation)

Roller Nation occupies the former Bruce Grove Cinema building. Aware of its prestigious history as a cinema, in 2021 Roller Nation ran a successful anniversary event to celebrate 100 years since the cinema had first opened. They transformed Roller Nation back in time to a cinema auditorium, set up with an organ to play live music whilst watching an early movie on the screen.

The film that was chosen was the one from its opening night back in 1921 - The Mark of Zorro with Douglas Fairbanks Sr. (You can watch the whole silent film with music – 1hr 47mins - online)  Roller Nation pulled off a great anniversary event, despite the difficulties posed by social distancing after coming out of a second lockdown during the pandemic. It was an enjoyable evening all round.