AGENDA
Salon to shut
The Salon, Glasgow’s oldest purpose-built cinema, looks set to close as a result of a controversial scheme to convert the listed building into a sports hall. Meanwhile. planning permission is being sought to change the interior of the Salons‘s sister cinema, the Grosvenor.
The Western Baths private members’ club which backs onto the Salon is planning to purchase the building for conversion into a sports hall. Although the floor would have to be levelled, the period interior, fittings and plasterwork would remain intact.
‘All our members have been notified about our intention to purchase this cinema which is up for sale, so it is certainly no secret,‘ the club’s secretary, Mr Mann, told The List.
Built in 1913 as the Hillhead Salon, the cinema is of special note as the interior has remained largely untouched since refurbishment
during the 19305 brought the seating numbers up to 544. As a grade B listed building the interior is considered to be of such note that there are even regulations on the colour it can be painted.
‘There are only a handful of cinemas in the country which have been listed for their architectural merit and this is one of them,‘ says Mr MacRae of the Scottish Film Council. ‘It is also one of the oldest continuously run cinemas in Europe, it has not been converted or twinned and has been run continuously as a cinema since it was opened in 1913. It is a shame that the city is going to lose such a gem as the Hillhead Salon.’
CAC Leisure who own both cinemas are unwilling to discuss their plans for the two buildings or the recent closure of their Dunfermline cinema. As The List went to press CAC managing Director Mr McGregor was unavailable for comment although he did issue a prepared statement.
‘We have been in discussion with several people with regards the sale ofit (the Salon), so there is nothing firm about that,’ according to the statement. ‘With regard the Grosvenor, we are investigating the possibility of improving our cinema. At the moment we have just gone for outline planning permission and it is just at the investigation stage at the moment.‘
According to the Glasgow City Council planning department CAC have applied for full planning permission to convert the Grosvenor by moving both auditoria upstairs and turning the ground level into a shopping arcade. (Thom Dibdin)
_ Imposing Tower
Glasgow could be overshadowed by a 100 metre high tower ii a competition being sponsored by the city’s development agency comes to iruition.
The already controversial competition is to design a tower suitable for St Enoch’s Square. £20,000 prize money is available to the winning architects who must be from the EEC.
“The idea is to create a symbol for Glasgow, something which the city can be notable ior,’ said Mr Ken Mann oi the GDA. ‘We think that as Glasgow climbs the European cities league table then it should have something to denote it.’
It appears that plans mooted in 1990 to build a 200m high ‘bell bridge’ across the Clyde have been forgotten in this latest initiative. The City Council’s planning committee have not objected to the competition but are reserving their position on the iinal project. They are obviously mindful oi the tale oi other recent ‘prestige’ projects such as London’s Canary Wart. (Thorn Dibdin)
:— SAM Move
Scottish AIDS Monitor, the charity which provides education and support on HIV and AIDS in Scotland is moving its head offices to a new and better resourced site in Leith.
Although it is a large agency, supported by a professional staff, 250 volunteers and numerous
consultants and advisers, SAM stresses the personal approach. This
is born out by the network of ‘Buddies’: trained and skilled volunteers who are available to provide emotional and practical support to people with HIV and AIDS, however they contracted the virus. SAM also provide advice, advocacy and education services as well as running a hardhip fund. They can be contacted on 031 555 4850. (TD)
Class Acts
In Edinburgh and Glasgow, groups supporting the politics of image-uniriendly anarcho-communists Class War have been actively stirring up hatred against the rich and powerful with their satirically biting propaganda in the shape at newspapers, posters and books. A quick delve into the iederation’s murky past- it was only iormed in 1984 - reveals images oi smashed Rolls-Royces, strangled probation oiiicers and, perhaps most contentious oi all, ‘hospitalised coppers’, who leature regularly in the iederation’s mouthpiece, the notorious ‘Class War’ newspaper.
One only has to take a flick through their outrageous ‘Decade 0i Disorder’ and ‘Uniinished Business’ publications to realise that Class War are past masters at this game. But why, in 1992, when the word ‘revolution’ to most people means a ride at the shows,
should such a group attract so much attention in the tabloids and on television?
One member oi the Edinburgh group, who identified himseli only as ‘Harry’, told The List that Class War were ‘ready to start rocking in Scotland’, starting with, as he put it, ‘Iun at the Euro Summit in December’. He added that Class War did in tact have serious political aims and would ‘be taking them onto the streets and into housing estates as soon as possible’. He was also Iorthright in his support for people doing just that in England recently, with riots raging irom Newcastle to Exeter. ‘People have been left to rot ior too long by all govemments,’ he said. ‘The road to parliamentary change has been blocked, the established Lelt is worse than useless, so the only way ordinary working-class talk can improve their lot is to, in Public Enemy’s words, “Fight The Power”.’ (Mark Bain)
_ Fringe Film Festival
The future ofthe Edinburgh Fringe Film Festival is under threat due to a shortfall in funding. The event. which is an important forum for young and experimental film and video makers. is now in its eighth year and has progressively strengthened its position on the Edinburgh calendar. Plans had
already been made to expand the event to other Scottish cities. Last year‘s Festival, held in late October, was the most successful and ambitious to date. but plans for the 1992 event have been dealt a body blow due to the rejection of grant applications to Edinburgh District Council’s recreation committee. The loss of the Festival would deprive Scotland of an all-too-rare opportunity for new work to be screened in a context that encourages discussion and critical appraisal. (Alan Morrison)
:- Citizens Advice
Figures published in Citizens Advice Scotland's Annual Review have shown an increase in the number of enquiries to bureaux of 12 per cent to 628,562. The biggest individual rise — 25 per cent — was from peOple faced with either the threat or the reality of unemployment. The report also
reveals that just under 100,000 peOple approached the network to ask about the social fund system. ‘Bureaux are like barometers,’ commented Citizens Advice Scotland’s Chief Executive Martyn Evans. ‘The number of enquiries they handle shows how both the state of the economy and social policy are affecting people. The social fund is not meeting its objective of targeting those most in need and many aspects of its operation cause distress and hardship to tens of thousands of Scotland’s poorest families.’ (AM)
4'l‘he List 3| July —- 13 August 1992