stjamesstreet-blog

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St. James, Walthamstow - Now & Then

Now & Then - is a blog dedicated to matching old pictures of the ares with current ones. If you have any old pictures of St. James please do email them to me and i’ll post them up.

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Grange Road, 1901, original sign revealed. If anyone has an older shot - late 19th century / early 20th century please do send it over. I do hope Mayne Architects aren’t planning to paint over it! Question is should it be restored to its former glory or left as it is?

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Little bit of info on Abbey Dental has surfaced from my digging: 

According to: http://walthamstowdiary.com

It was a former cinema - called The St. James Electric.  It started showing silent films but struggled with due to noise from the trains next-door being so loud.

More info found. 

Article from:

https://londonsideways.wordpress.com

Next to St James Street station, on the Chingford branch, there is an impressive looking building,  it’s a dental practice.  But look again, do you see the steps …

You are looking at one of Walthamstow’s many lost cinemas. St James’ Electric Theatre was built in 1911 with 500 seats. During the First World War wounded soliders were admitted free.

It was said that when trains passed through the station, the projector trembled and drowned the sound.

The name was changed to Super in 1919 and to Regent in 1932. It went through the thirties being closed and re-opened till final closure in 1939.

Let us be thankful the grand old building has found use as a dental practice and not been demolished.

Another update here. 

Thanks to: http://cinematreasures.org for the peep behind the sign (2009). And the arch is still there.

CT: The original arched entrance revealed (briefly) during renovation in September 2004. 

Located in the northeast London district of Walthamstow. Opened in 1911 as the 550 seat, St. James' Electric Picture Theatre, it is located adjacent to St. James Street Railway Station on the Chingford line.

The name was changed to Super Cinema in 1919, and by 1926 was operated by the Shipman & King circuit, who operated it until around 1929. In 1932 it became the Regent Cinema. The Regent Cinema opened and closed several times, until its final closure in 1939.

The building became a health club and since at least 1997 has been occupied by Abbey Dental Practice.

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Vestry House Museum’s photograph from The Essex Tap Room, featuring the local church that reportedly burnt down. Removal of the advertising billboard revealled the stunning original painted advertising behind it for Drapery & Millinery at Everett’s Stores. 

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St. James’s Street, High Street end looking up towards the station. Buildings have since been cleaned up beautifully thanks to: http://www.stjamesstreet.london

2nd picture is from (1938) credit Vestry House Museum / Waltham Forest Council

Costa Coffee is now in place of Cash Converters. No Griffins as yet!

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Amazing picture of St. James’s street looking down towards the station from Cafe 56. Big gaps appearing here. Demolition? bomb damage? Fire damage?

Year once again unknown please feel free to comment. 

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St. Jame’s Street picture old how the station used to look compared to now (date unknown, maybe 1885?) St James Street Station opened in 1870, so there’s a clue. Please do comment if you believe you know. Chimney removed from station + upstairs waiting room perhaps? Many old features still in place.

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Essex Brewery Tap room  (1926) Currently a gym and converted flats. 

Likelihood of this ever reopening as a pub is zero, but nice to see it wasn’t completely demolished like most.

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High Street, St. James’s Street - Woolworths now the International Supermarket. Fantastic to see the redevelopment of this old building coming along so well. New Griffins have since been put back in pride of place.