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The Erstwile Granada Theatre Wandsworth, today as The Southbank Club

The Granada Theatre Wandsworth was built on the site of the Clock Cinema and was the first to be built in what was considered to be the beginning of a New Granada Theatre Circuit and opened in October 1936.  The Theatre was closed on 12th November, 1940 following damage from German bombing.  Repairs were made, but before it could re-open, it was severely damaged by firther bombing in May 1941.  It remained closed until after the war when repairs and restorations were carried out and it re-opened once more on the 12th September, 1949.

The Theatre was equipped with a 3 Manuals and 8 Ranks Wurlitzer Theatre Organ, which was played by Harry Farmer at the opening.  The Organ was sold in 1958 (see below) and was removed from the Theatre in 1959 and installed in a private home.

Although the Theatre was fully equipped  with stage facilities and dressing rooms, there were only rarely used.

The Theatre closed as a cinema in 1965 and became a full-time Granada Social Club.  In 1977, it closed as a Bingo Club and became a skate board centre for a while, but was then left empty for a number of years.  The building eventually became a Squash and Fitness Club in 1986.

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Click here to hear Kevin Grunill play The Wurlitzer Theatre Organ at the Tower Ballroom Blackpool 

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The Wurlitzer Theatre Organ from the Granada Wandsworth was sold to Mr. Len Rawle who sent me the following information about it:

“We purchased the Wandsworth Road Wurlitzer in 1958 when we heard that Granada was not interested in restoring it following the water damage done to the console and wished to dispose of it.    At that time we were living in a small terraced property with no facility to store or install the organ.   We therefore arranged to keep the organ in the theatre for about a year whilst we cleaned and dismantled the various components during our free time and thought about where to install it. Once we came to realise the real size of the task we had undertaken, my ever practical Father said we would have to find a larger home in which to live if we could not find a suitable hall for the organ.    I was lucky enough to find a plot of land in Northolt where my parents built a small detached property.  They also built what might be termed a second garage which we made soundproof and installed the organ’s pipe-work in it.  This became the now legendary Wurlitzer Lodge.  We installed the organ’s console in the lounge. Six months after moving into our new home, we heard the first sounds of our residence Wurlitzer.  Following its installation, we quickly attracted enthusiasts and organists from various parts of the world, all hoping to hear it played and some wishing to play it.    Our method of taming the original full sound of the organ is of special interest since it became a talking point around the world and has helped many others to overcome the same problem.

Listen to Mr. Rawle’s interview here to learn how he and his Father overcame this problem

Over the years, we added to the original 8 Ranks of pipes, which we eventually expanded the specification to 19 Ranks in total.   In addition, our home became the site where the UK Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society was founded. With the passing of my parents, the Organ was sold to the Organ Broker, Mr Ian McNaught in Scotland who sold the majority of the original Organ to Mr. Anthony Storey of Peterborough who is currently working on his project.  Mr. McNaught sold the added Ranks of pipes separately and they have since found their way into a number of other deserving transplanted Wurlitzer Organs.”

Len Rawle