We are go!
Monday March 15th will see Durkan, our builders, start work on restoring The Phoenix. In a little over two weeks the cinema will be awash with hard hats and hi-vis vests.
It's a strange time right now, we're flat out preparing for the work to start. In the office our main task in the next couple of weeks is to vacate the 1st floor entirely to allow Durkan to take over and pull walls down to create the cafe space. Next week sees our new phone system being installed, this will give us digital lines for the first time, greatly enhancing how we can deal with calls. We're moving servers into what will be our new office in storerooms on the projection floor and we're working out what to do with the equipment coming out of the soon-to-be-redundant staff kitchen. We're thinking about having a Phoenix jumble sale in a couple of weeks. As you might imagine after using the same office space since 1938 there's a lot of accumulated stuff that we not only don't need but also don't have space for in the new office. So if you fancy owning some stuff that used to be part of the Phoenix keep an eye on our website and weekly email.
For the first week or so Durkan will be setting up the site compound and scaffold being erected. This will then allow external works on the cinema to be carried out whilst we remain open for evening and weekend shows.
The existing canopy is going to be torn off in the first few weeks too, to allow it to be replaced with a strengened one later in the works. The new canopy will also act as a terrace for the new cafe and will have our a new 'readograph' on the front of it, so it can be seen from the pavement, and not only when you're riding the 263 bus.
In other news this week, Mark Kermode came back this week to film his 'Kermodes' award, his alternative oscars for the Culture show. This will be broadcast on Thursday on BBC2 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006t6c5
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Monday, 15 February 2010
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode called in on Friday night, as part of his nationwide tour of cinemas which doubles as promotion for his new book.
Mark was great, really generous and lovely. As well as his talk which he gave to a full auditorium he also recorded an interview for the restoration film we're making. All being well the film should be finished the week the cinema re-opens.
We also asked Mark to become a patron of the cinema, which he readily agreed. Here's a picture of Mark with the flowers we gave him for becoming a patron.
After the event Mark hung around for over an hour, signing books and having his photograph taken. By co-incidence the pavement outside the cinema was being re-laid on Friday and the concrete was still wet, Mark signed his name and did a hand-print in the concrete, it's a bit Hollywood Boulevard!
The event rasied over £1,000 for the restoration project. We're getting closer to our target every day.
Mark was great, really generous and lovely. As well as his talk which he gave to a full auditorium he also recorded an interview for the restoration film we're making. All being well the film should be finished the week the cinema re-opens.
We also asked Mark to become a patron of the cinema, which he readily agreed. Here's a picture of Mark with the flowers we gave him for becoming a patron.
After the event Mark hung around for over an hour, signing books and having his photograph taken. By co-incidence the pavement outside the cinema was being re-laid on Friday and the concrete was still wet, Mark signed his name and did a hand-print in the concrete, it's a bit Hollywood Boulevard!
The event rasied over £1,000 for the restoration project. We're getting closer to our target every day.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
On your marks, get set ...
Hi,
This is the first in what I hope will be a regular blog about the restoration of The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley.
I'm Paul Homer, the Chief Executive of the Phoenix Cinema Trust, though my colleagues may also be blogging about the project.
Well, we're almost there. It's taken 3 years of detailed planning, 2 years of intense fundraising and countless stress for lots of people but as I write this we are very close to having the builders on site.
We have a few meetings coming up in the next week or so at which we'll iron out the remaining issues, but we have now appointed the builders - Durkan. So we're working through some final budgetary issues and some design elements.
We should know soon the exact date for the work to start, but it's looking like Mid-March.
We'll keep you informed.
This is the first in what I hope will be a regular blog about the restoration of The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley.
I'm Paul Homer, the Chief Executive of the Phoenix Cinema Trust, though my colleagues may also be blogging about the project.
Well, we're almost there. It's taken 3 years of detailed planning, 2 years of intense fundraising and countless stress for lots of people but as I write this we are very close to having the builders on site.
We have a few meetings coming up in the next week or so at which we'll iron out the remaining issues, but we have now appointed the builders - Durkan. So we're working through some final budgetary issues and some design elements.
We should know soon the exact date for the work to start, but it's looking like Mid-March.
We'll keep you informed.
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