Long before it became Gold’s Gym, the large building on Sheepcote Road was one of Harrow’s best-known entertainment venues, drawing generations of local people through its doors to watch films, hear live music and see some of the biggest performers of the day.
The Granada Theatre opened on 25 October 1937, at a time when going to the cinema was a major part of everyday life. Designed by architect J Owen Bond, with an elaborate interior by theatre designer Theodore Komisarjevsky, it was built on a grand scale, with around 1,900 seats, decorative plasterwork and its own Wurlitzer theatre organ. Film stars Jessie Matthews and Sonnie Hale, who lived locally, attended the opening, while the first programme included The Show Goes On, starring Gracie Fields.
Big names on the Granada stage
As well as showing films, the Granada became a regular stop for touring performers during the 1950s and 1960s. Gene Vincent appeared there in January 1960, followed by Little Richard in October 1962 and Roy Orbison the following year.
In the audience for Little Richard’s Harrow show was a young Elton John. Recalling the performance years later, he said: “When I saw Little Richard at the Harrow Granada, he played it standing up, but Jerry Lee Lewis actually jumped on the piano!” Elton, who grew up in nearby Pinner, said those early rock and roll performances had a huge influence on him.
One of the most notable dates in the building’s history came on 6 January 1964, when The Rolling Stones played two shows at the Granada as part of the Group Scene ’64 tour. The Ronettes were also on the bill. Later that year, The Kinks and The Hollies were among the other acts to appear at the venue, putting Harrow on the touring circuit at a time when British pop and rock music was taking off.
For local audiences, it meant that some of the biggest names in music could be seen just a short walk from Harrow Town Centre, long before large arenas became the normal place to watch major acts.
Cinema changes in the 1970s
By the early 1970s, the cinema industry was changing and large single-screen venues were becoming less common. In 1973, the Granada was divided into three screens, allowing several films to be shown at the same time. The changes altered parts of the original auditorium, although much of the building’s decorative interior remained.
The Granada continued to be a familiar part of life in Harrow throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with generations of families visiting to see the latest releases. Films including Star Wars, E.T., Gremlins and Back to the Future were among the more famous films over those years.
The Granada name comes to an end
The building was granted Grade II listed status on 4 August 1988, recognising the importance of its architecture and surviving interior. A year later, Granada sold the cinema to Cannon, bringing the Granada name to an end after more than 50 years.
The cinema later passed through other operators, including Virgin Cinemas and ABC, although the building itself remained largely recognisable to those who had been visiting it for years.
Its final day as a cinema came on 7 November 1996, almost 60 years after the doors first opened. The last film shown was the British comedy drama Brassed Off. According to the Cinema Organ Society, the closure came at short notice, with parts of the building already being boarded up as the final customers left.
From cinema to Gold’s Gym
The closure did not mean the end of the building. Its listed status helped protect much of the structure, and it was later converted into a health and fitness centre, with the work completed in 2001.
Today, the former Granada is home to Gold’s Gym and remains one of the most recognisable buildings on Sheepcote Road.
Many people passing it now will only ever have known it as a gym, but for much of the 20th century it was one of Harrow’s main places for entertainment. Behind the same walls, local audiences once watched the latest Hollywood films, listened to the Wurlitzer organ and saw performers including Little Richard, Roy Orbison and The Rolling Stones.
Nearly 90 years after it first opened, the old Granada remains a surviving piece of Harrow’s cinema and music history.
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Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
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