One of the essentials of any thirties suburb was its cinema and West Wickham's opened in Station Road as the Plaza in 1933.

Designed by prolific architect, J. Stanley Beard, it was his 100th cinema and was renamed the Odeon in 1939.

Built on the site of the southern half of the historic Ravenswood House, dating from the reign of Queen Anne, the northern wing survived longer and can be seen on the right of the photograph.

Both survived until 1957, when the cinema closed, Ravenswood having been used as a private school.

The site was developed as Boots and Sainsbury's.

Copyright: Peter Francis