The Hippodrome music hall, which was designed by Frank Matcham, opened in 1911.

With a capacity of 3,222 it was clearly a sign that Catford had reached maturity as a suburb.

Until the Corbett Estate had added more than 15,000 to the population in the previous decade such a huge theatre could not have been expected to pay.

Even allowing for a large potential audience at its doors, the Hippodrome struggled to survive, taking several diversions into straight drama and films before closing in 1959. It was demolished in 1960.