at the point of the sword

a cinema poster from the Hackney Cinematograph Theatre in 1912

As promised, here is more news on the campaign to save the old cinema at Clapton Pond, recently rescued from the social death that is gangster nightclubdom. The closure of the nightclub was achieved largely through the concerted efforts of local residents, which proves that it can be done.

The campaign has a website and a petition. Unfortunately, it's a petition you have to print off, collect signaures on and send back to the address on the website, but that's not exactly rocket science, is it. I think we should all have a go. If you are reading this from anywhere in the environs of Hackney, or if you care enough about cinemas and community amenities (it's also going to be a community facility) please sign the petition. Let's put cinematographs back on the map!

Inciudentally, I think "cinematograph" is a charming word; it reminds me (pointlessly, I know, a simple etymological coincidence, made all the more coincidental by being completely gratuitous in "cinematograph") of Spirograph, which can only be a good thing. And it also reminds me how important movies used to be, how grand the theatres were because people loved them so much. Wouldn't we like it to be like that again?

To paraphrase Frank O'Hara: Mothers of Hackney! Let your children go to the movies!