FAN, Camden Town
(1908-1917)
16 Delancey Street, London NW1

This cinema opened in a former roller skating rink in a Camden Town side street in 1908 as the Dara Cinema. By 1911 it was being run by the Fan Cinematograph Company and had been renamed the Fan. It had 400 to 500 seats and a sliding roof over the auditorium. Admission charges ranged from 2d (1p) to 1s (5p), programmes running from 2 pm to 11 pm on weekdays and from 6 pm to 11 pm on Sundays. All women and children at the afternoon performances were entitled to free teas and ice cream! In addition, free shows were given to local institutions such as orphanages.

In 1917 the Fan Cinematograph Company was refused an operating license for failing to meet current licensing regulations and consequently closed down. The building became a billiard hall and, later, a bingo hall. Now it has gone back to the green baize tables and is home to a local snooker club.