The curtain comes down for the very last time at the Wembley Majestic Cinema - the final part of the local history series

This the last of the local history series on the Wembley Majestic by Tony Royden and Philip Grant. I would like to thank them for the guest  articles that are clearly the result of a great deal of research and preserve another piece of Wembley history.

 

1.The Majestic Cinema from Park Lane, early 1950s, with a carnival procession passing by.

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed the two previous instalments of our story, taking us up to the cinema’s opening night on 11 January 1929. If you missed them, “click” on these “links” for Part 1 and Part 2. 

 

After all the hype and publicity behind Wembley’s new ‘super cinema’, the Majestic finally opened its doors to the public on Saturday 12 January 1929 and the audience were treated to a one-day special programme: On the bill were variety acts and two black-and-white, silent movies, with the headline feature film, “Across the Atlantic”, starring Monty Blue and Edna Murphy - a 1928 US, hour-long, romantic drama. With its first takings at the box office, the Majestic was now up and running as a business.

 

2.The Majestic’s advertisement from the “Wembley News”, 25 January 1929.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

From that day, the Majestic adopted a regular pattern of screening two films a week: Monday to Wednesday (the first film) and Thursday to Saturday (the second film), with Sunday being a day of rest, until the law was changed in 1932. Often billed alongside the movies would be live variety acts, performed on the Majestic’s stage and music played on the cinema’s Kinestra organ (sometimes to accompany silent movies and other times solo pieces would be performed in the interludes).

 

3.The Majestic’s projection room and its equipment.
(“Kinematograph Weekly”, 17 January 1929 – image courtesy of the British Library)

 

An article published in the “Kinematograph Weekly”, 17 January 1929, stated: 'The Majestic embodies every principle of the best West End practice and there can be few similar halls which will bear comparison with the building, especially as regards the equipment of the projection box, which should serve as an example of modern installation of this nature.' The projection room was indeed something to be proud of, but no sooner had the Majestic opened, a major transition in cinematic history was taking place.

 

In October 1927 the very first “part-talkie” movie “The Jazz Singer” premiered in America – and it was an instant hit. The film screened at London’s Piccadilly Theatre in September 1928 and in the same month, British Talking Pictures Ltd (a newly formed company), had acquired a former British Empire Exhibition building at Wembley Park, to open a film studio – later claiming it to be the first fully equipped talking-picture studio in Europe. A new era of ‘talking movies’ had arrived and although the Majestic had top class film projectors, it would soon have to change and move with the times – an added expense they didn’t see coming.

 

4.One of W.E. Greenwood’s interior designs, in the Majestic Cinema’s auditorium, colourised.
(From the “Wembley News” supplement, 18 January 1929)

 

Other changes were also on the horizon: By the end of 1929, Wembley’s Majestic Cinema had changed ownership from the original company of local businessmen, led by R.H. Powis (a County Councillor and public works contractor), to the ‘Majestic Theatres Corporation Ltd’, headed and chaired by W.E. Greenwood – the highly acclaimed atmospheric interior designer of Wembley’s Majestic cinema. The new company seemed to have legs and in December 1929, “The Bioscope” reported that a second “Majestic” cinema had opened in Staines and that there would be a third “Majestic” opening in High Wycombe (both with interior décor designed by Mr Greenwood) to add to the Wembley “Majestic” which the new company now owned.

 

How did the two rival cinemas in Wembley respond to competition from the new Majestic ‘super cinema’? The change in the style of the Majestic’s weekly programme advertisements in 1933 was a sign that something was going on!

 

5.Majestic Cinema programme adverts from the “Wembley News”, April and December 1933.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

The Elite Cinema (with 1500 seats) located in Raglan Gardens (now Empire Way), closed in March 1930 and, after internal reconstruction, reopened in May 1930 as the Capitol Cinema, increasing its capacity to 1637 seats. It was refurbished again in 1933 and it was around this time that the Capitol and the Majestic decided the best way forward for both businesses to prosper would be to operate under one umbrella. It turned out that they were now both ultimately owned by County Cinemas Ltd (though operated through a local subsidiary company). The ownership change was publicly confirmed from July 1934, when their weekly programmes were displayed in joint advertisements.

 

6.Majestic and Capitol Cinema programme advert from the “Wembley News”, 5 July 1934.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

The Majestic’s other, and nearest, rival (as you can tell from the aerial photograph below) was the smaller, privately-owned, Wembley Hall Cinema – located at the corner of the High Road and Cecil Avenue. It was 1935 before its proprietor, Miss Nora Thomson, decided to rebuild and modernise her cinema, increasing the seating capacity from 560 to 1050. This may have been in response to competition from the Majestic, or even from the rapidly-growing Odeon chain that had opened cinemas in Kingsbury and Kenton in 1934, and had plans to open another cinema even closer, in Allandale Avenue, Sudbury, in 1935. But with the film industry growing at an exponential rate, and on the cusp of what was considered to be the ‘Golden Age of Cinema’ (with people flocking to see their favourite movie stars and latest film releases), Miss Thomson’s decision to expand may have simply been to reap the rewards of that.

 

7.Aerial photograph showing part of Wembley High Road in 1938, with arrows showing the two cinemas.
(Britain from Above, image EPW056263 – courtesy of Historic England)

 

The outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 may have had a profound impact on County Cinemas Ltd as (in the same month) it was sold to Oscar Deutsch’s Odeon Cinema chain. The Majestic managed to keep its name, and both its cinema and ballroom played their part in helping to keep up the morale of local civilians during the dark wartime years.  But more changes were afoot, when the Rank Organisation bought control of Odeon Cinemas following Deutsch’s death in 1941. As for the Capitol Cinema in Empire Way, that too played its part in the war effort when, in 1943, it was requisitioned to use as a shelter for people displaced from their bomb-damaged homes – it was never to reopen as a cinema again.

 

8.Two adverts for events at the Majestic in May 1943. (Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

From the end of the war through to the mid-1950s, the film industry experienced a period of prosperity, marked by a series of box office hits shown at the Majestic from Paramount Pictures, whose Academy Award winning films included "Sunset Boulevard", "The Greatest Show on Earth", "Shane" and Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments".

 

9.Wembley High Road in the early 1950s, with the Majestic Cinema on the right. (Colourised photograph)

 

In January 1956, after it was decided that the Majestic needed a more modern feel, applications were submitted for new signage for the front of the building: The café was to become the “STARS espresso bar and restaurant”, and a large vertical illuminated “ODEON” sign was to be placed above the entrance door. The Majestic’s name was formally changed to the Odeon in March 1956 (although local residents still referred to it as The Majestic!). 

 

Meanwhile, the Wembley Hall Cinema, which had operated independently for 25 years under the ownership of Miss Nora Thomson, came to an end when Miss Thomson retired and sold her cinema in February 1956. The cinema closed for two weeks for rebranding and reopened on 25 March under the new name of “Gaumont”. This should have rung alarm bells, as both the Odeon and Gaumont cinema chains were owned by the Rank Organisation.

 

At that time, the Majestic’s future may have still looked bright, especially when more illuminated signs appeared on the front of the building in 1957, advertising the “Victor Silvester Dance Studio” – this would have been a huge draw. The famous Wembley-born ballroom dancer and band leader ran a chain of schools teaching ballroom dancing, and one of these opened in the Majestic’s ballroom. 

 

10.The Odeon (former Majestic) Wembley, with signs for the Victor Silverster dance studio, around 1960.
(Brent Archives – Wembley History Society Collection – colourised version)

 

However, television had arrived and its popularity was rapidly growing. By 1960, box office takings were on the decline and ‘The Golden Age of Cinema’ was coming to an end. During this period, Wembley had three cinemas, all in close proximity to each other – the Majestic, the Gaumont and the Regal/ABC (which had opened on Ealing Road, 8 February 1937). The market share wasn’t enough to go around and so something had to give.  

 

The Rank Organisation had probably been considering getting rid of one of their two Wembley High Road cinemas for some time (especially as they had already closed their Odeon cinema on Allandale Avenue, Sudbury, in October 1956). When a potential buyer came knocking with an offer for the much larger of the two cinemas, located in a more desirable position for shopping, the writing was on the wall for the Majestic.    

 

On Thursday, May 25 1961, Wembley residents awoke to read a front-page headline in the “Wembley Observer” that must have shaken them to the core. It read: “Former Majestic closes on Saturday. WEMBLEY LOSES ITS ODEON CINEMA.” Inside, instead of the usual programme advertisement, was an announcement from the cinema itself stating: ’The management regret that this Theatre will be closed as from Sunday, May 28th’.

 

11.The front-page story in the “Wembley Observer”, 25 May 1961.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

12.The Odeon programme advert from the “Wembley Observer”, 25 May 1961.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

If the news wasn’t shocking enough, it was also announced that the dance studio and restaurant had been told they must close on the same day. The Observer further reported that the Rank Organisation had, that week, submitted an outline planning application to build a supermarket on the cinema’s site. It was the end of an era – Wembley’s beloved Majestic/Odeon was to be no more. Its wonderful stage curtain had fallen for the last time. 

 

13.The Majestic Cinema’s safety curtain - colourised.
(From the “Wembley News” supplement, 18 January 1929)

 

Out of the two cinemas on Wembley High Road, it was the Gaumont that went on to fight another day. When the Majestic closed, the Rank Organisation simultaneously rebranded the Gaumont to their more popularly known Odeon name, and there it continued as the Wembley Odeon until it closed in January 1975. (The building was used again from 1976 to 1981, as the Liberty Cinema, showing Bollywood films, before it was finally demolished.)

 

14.The former Wembley Hall Cinema, as the Gaumont (1956) and Wembley Odeon (1962).
(Images from the internet)

 

Only a third of a century after it was built, Wembley’s Majestic Cinema was demolished. The building which replaced it opened as a C&A Modes clothing shop in 1962. More recently, readers may also remember this as a Wilkinson’s “Wilko” store, but that too has gone. 

 

15.The 1960s building on the former Majestic Cinema site, from Park Lane, June 2025.

 

Sadly, the Majestic Cinema and its name have long disappeared from our High Road, but we hope that this short series of articles has helped you to visualise the grandeur of Wembley’s own “super cinema” and in some way, helped to preserve its memory. R.H. Powis, whose dream it was for local men to build the Majestic for the enjoyment of local people, is also long gone. But in his capacity as a public works contractor, his name has not entirely disappeared from our local streets – if you keep your eyes peeled, you may just see it as you stroll through the area!

 

16.An “R.H. Powis – Wembley” manhole cover. (This one is in Slough Lane, Kingsbury)

Tony Royden and Philip Grant.

Wembley’s Majestic Cinema – Part 2

Part 2 of Local History Post by Tony Royden and Philip Grant:

1.The Exterior of the Majestic Cinema, just before its opening, in original black & white and colourised.
(“Kinematograph Weekly”, 17 January 1929 – original image courtesy of the British Library)

 

Welcome back to the second part of the Majestic Cinema’s story. If you missed Part 1, you can find it HERE. In this article, some of the original black and white photographs have been colourised, using AI, to help show the splendour of this ‘super cinema’.

 

By December 1928, the builder’s hoardings had been removed and Wembley’s new super cinema was in full resplendent view. Passers-by would stop in awe at the new “majestic” building: The architects, Field and Stewart, had erected a handsome frontage constructed of Luton grey facing bricks and Atlas white stone dressings. At the heart of the structure, rising elegantly to the top of the building, was a gleaming copper dome, held aloft by a drum of Atlas stone columns, inset with stylish bay windows. Extended over the main entrance was a striking bronze canopy, shining warmly under carefully crafted lighting. At sunset, the entire façade could be seen bathed in floodlights. The intricate frieze, the sweeping cornice and decorative pillars were highlighted by a subtle, yet dazzling light effect – it was a sight to behold.

 

On 14 December the “Wembley News” carried a half-page advertisement, announcing: ‘In a few weeks’ time the Wembley Majestic will be opened, and the public will be able to visit this veritable Wonder Cinema, where they will be provided with absolutely the most up-to-date and best that can be offered in the world of entertainment.’

 

2.From a full-page advertisement in the “Wembley News”, 11 January 1929.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

Four weeks later, on the morning of the Majestic’s grand opening, a full-page advertisement appeared in the Wembley News, which carried the headline ‘A Real Cinema for Wembley at last’. We can only speculate what the owners of the existing Wembley Hall Cinema, and the Elite Cinema (located in the former British Empire Exhibition Conference Hall in Raglan Gardens - now Empire Way – which had only opened in March 1928), thought about that headline! But they would soon have a chance to find out how popular their new competitor was.

 

What happened regarding the cinema chain which had plans to open own their ‘super cinema’ directly across the road from the Majestic? We know planning permission was granted and bricks were delivered onsite to start construction ... but they were simply too slow. The Majestic’s lightning pace from conception to completion, in just 12 months, won the race and it’s safe to assume that the cinema chain must have got cold feet and abandoned their plans. The derelict land where they had intended to build (at the corner of the High Road and Park Lane) went on to become high street shops, with a bank on the corner itself.

 

The Majestic’s opening night, on Friday 11 January 1929, was by invitation only, but enough invitations had been sent out to fill its 2,000 seats. The guest of honour was Isodore Salmon, the Conservative M.P. for the Harrow Division of Middlesex (which included Wembley), who was also Managing Director of his family’s catering business, J. Lyons & Co. He and his wife sat alongside another leading local figure, Titus Barham, accompanied by his wife, Florence. Other invitees included all the members of Wembley Urban District Council and many of the local clergy.

 

3.Photo of Mrs R.H. Powis from the 18 January 1929 “Wembley News” supplement. (Brent Archives)

 

After the playing of the National Anthem, the lights lowered and the evening’s programme commenced with a showing of a pre-recorded film. Appearing on screen was Mrs R.H. Powis (wife of the Chairman) arriving by car outside the Majestic, where she was presented with a key to unlock the ornamental bronze doors. On entering, the film cut to inside the auditorium and to Mrs Powis on stage, declaring the Majestic Cinema open. At that moment, the screen went up, the stage lights came on and there was Mrs Powis in person to finish her opening address (wearing the same attire that she had worn in the film). This was met by rapturous applause from the audience who marvelled at this piece of technical showmanship – and it may have been enjoyed even more than anticipated as the film had, perhaps by accident, been shown at double speed, so that it resembled a slapstick comedy!

 

 

4.Mr and Mrs Powis and the stage party at the opening of the Majestic Cinema, 11 January 1929.
(From the “Wembley News” supplement, 18 January 1929, at Brent Archives)

 

With the audience in the palm of her hand, Mrs Powis spoke enthusiastically about the immense local support there had been for the Majestic Cinema project and what an honour it had been for her personally to have opened it. She invited the audience to absorb the splendour of the surroundings, expressing that it was a building they could be proud of. She hoped the residents of Wembley would appreciate all that had been done for them, and trusted that they too would come and patronise the theatre when the doors opened to the public.

 

Mrs Powis then introduced her husband (Chairman of the Majestic Cinema) who delivered a much longer speech. He started by praising the enterprise of his ten fellow directors (also present on stage) who had been willing to risk their money in this local cinema venture. The building, of which they were immensely proud, had cost around £100,000 (approximately £5.5million in today’s money), and no expense had been spared in its making (although, by way of contradiction, he said that he ‘had to be the drag to prevent them from spending too much money’). Also appearing on stage were the two local architects, Messrs Field and Stewart, happy to take a bow when introduced, for they had designed a building which truly did live up to the ‘Majestic’ name. Mr Powis then praised the builders, W.E. Greenwood and Son, who had worked tirelessly, and had engaged seventy-five percent of the labour locally. The beautiful scheme of decoration throughout the auditorium, which engulfed the audience, was Mr Greenwood’s concept, with the work carried out to his designs.

 

5.Two views of the Majestic Cinema’s interior designs, one of which has been colourised.
(From the “Wembley News” supplement, 18 January 1929)

 

6.Another colourised view of the cinema’s interior designs.
(“Kinematograph Weekly supplement”, 2 May1929 – original image courtesy of the British Library)

 

In an article published in the “Kinematograph Weekly” on 17 January 1929, there was lavish praise for Mr Greenwood’s ‘unique’ and ‘beautiful decorative scheme’. The décor was described as being ‘upon atmospheric lines’ and ‘in the Italian renaissance style’. It continued by saying: ‘The patron looks out onto a beautiful Italian garden. The rich colour-scheme employed is at once restful and pleasing to the eye. The views of mountains, trees and temples on the side walls are in relief, and their application is remarkable for the sense of real depth conveyed to the patron. The various effects achieved by Mr. Greenwood called for much ingenuity and imagination. The whole of the ceiling is made to represent an Italian sky, and is unbroken by ventilating grids or lighting fixtures.’ The Majestic was hailed as being 'the most satisfactory form of the "atmospheric" type of picture theatre yet erected in England. '

 

7.Colourised view of the Majestic’s auditorium, as viewed from the stage.
(“Kinematograph Weekly”, 17 January 1929 – original image courtesy of the British Library)

 

Most of the auditorium’s lighting was provided from the front of the balcony, as described in “The Bioscope”, 12th June 1929: ‘The floodlights employed were concealed under the auditorium balcony. The front of the balcony was divided into 16 different sections, each section being glazed with specially diffusing glass panels.’ A remarkable feature of the lighting was that there were no notable shadows.

  

Another innovative design was used for ventilation: ‘Air is introduced into the building by a series of louvres, which are practically invisible behind decorative features which harmonise with the surroundings, and is extracted through thousands of minute holes in the barrel roof, which are also invisible.’ The painted plasterwork bushes of the Italian garden theme also hid the grilles through which music from the cinema’s John Compton Kinestra organ was played.

 

8.A 1929 advertisement for the John Compton Kinestra organ. (Image from the internet)

 

As part of the opening night’s entertainment, the audience were treated to an organ recital, “In a Monastery Garden”, played by Mr Davies on a Kinestra organ like the one pictured above. There were also performances by a number of variety acts including; The Six Ninette Girls, The Plaza Boys, Jade Winton and The Famous Australs – all backed by the wonderful music of the Majestic orchestra, conducted by J. Samehtini. After a showing of a current newsreel, the evening concluded with a screening of the 1928 British-made detective film, “Mademoiselle Parley Voo”.  The opening ceremony was declared a huge success by all who attended.

 

So what did the Majestic have to offer? From the early days of its conception, the Chairman and his fellow directors wanted to be able to bring live West End performances to Wembley (along with the latest film releases) and they were now set to accommodate the grandest of stage productions. The Majestic was built with a 50-foot-wide fully equipped stage, twelve dressing rooms for the artistes (six on either side of the stage – female on one side, male on the other), a musical director's room, a boardroom and an orchestra pit in front of the stage.

 

9.The original Ground Floor plan for the Majestic Cinema. (Brent Archives – Wembley plans microfilm 3474)

 

In the original planning application, the floor plans show the main auditorium was to have 1192 seats, with a further 432 seats located in the “Grand Tier” (or balcony) making a total of 1624 – but with subsequent applications, this was increased to near 2000, making it substantially larger than many West End theatres. The whole of the seating and furnishing had been carried out by Maples & Co, a long-established and successful company, expert in cinema work. The seats were comfortable and every seat gave a perfect view of the stage and screen.

 

The High Road entrance to the Majestic led to an octagonal lobby that was known as a “Crush Hall”. This had an imposing dome above it (not to be confused with the roof dome visible from the outside), which was expertly painted with light, airy clouds and cleverly illuminated by concealed lights. The hall included a pay-box, chocolate kiosk and a side-entrance to a 120-seat café (with the café’s main entrance from the High Road). The hall extended into a large foyer where two ‘handsome staircases leading to the balcony’ could be found, along with the entrance into the auditorium.

 

10.The Majestic Cinema’s café.
(“Kinematograph Weekly”, 17 January 1929 – image courtesy of the British Library)

 

 

On the first floor, above the café and shops, was the Majestic Ballroom: Measuring 107 ft. long and 30 ft. wide, it could comfortably accommodate 500 dancers. In an article published in the “Kinematograph Weekly” on 17 January 1929, the ballroom was praised for being ‘one of the finest apartments of its kind in the provinces’. Its decorative treatment was carried out on classical lines and its comfortable ‘"Pollodium" cane furniture was manufactured by Edward Light & Company Ltd. The ballroom was self-contained, with its own lounge, retiring room and dressing rooms.

 

11.A colourised view of the Majestic Cinema’s ballroom.
(“Kinematograph Weekly”, 17 January 1929 – original image courtesy of the British Library)

 

As well as having all the amenities of a classic movie theatre, the Majestic also had a second floor, known as the “Mezzanine Floor”, where a luxurious lounge could be found – directly under the roof's dome. Natural light would have permeated from the circle of bay windows beneath the dome and we can only imagine how spectacular the views must have been (especially as Wembley was not as built-up an area at that time, and there would still be some open fields and countryside to observe).

 

At the end of the opening night’s extravaganza, around one thousand of the cinema’s guests, who had remained until the entertainment programme finished at 11pm, were invited to a reception in the ballroom. They were treated to a banquet of food and drink, and there was dancing to the music of Mr Samehtini’s cinema orchestra. An exhibition was also given of “Modern Ballroom Dancing” (as described in his 1927 book of that name by Victor Silvester, whose father, the Vicar of St John the Evangelist Church at the other end of the High Road, had been a guest that evening). The celebration of the Majestic’s first night went on until 1am on the Saturday morning.

 

Wembley’s Majestic Cinema had opened, but would it be a success, and why can’t we see it now in the High Road? To find out the answers, join us next weekend for the final part of our story!

 

Tony Royden and Philip Grant.

1 Morland Gardens – an open letter to two key Cabinet members

 Guest post by local historian, Philip Grant, in a personal capacity 

 

Altamira, the beautiful Victorian villa at 1 Morland Gardens in Stonebridge.

 

Last month, I wrote a guest post asking you to sign the Willesden Local History Society petition, calling on Brent Council and its Cabinet to retain Altamira, the 150-year old Italianate-style Victorian villa in Stonebridge, as part of its forthcoming plans for redevelopment of the former Brent Start college site at 1 Morland Gardens. That petition is still open, until 26 May, and if you haven’t signed it yet I would encourage you to do so, please. You can do that HERE.

 

The Local Democracy Reporter for our area wrote an article about the petition, which was published online on MyLondon, but for some reason has not been published by the Brent & Kilburn Times (nor was a letter sent in by the Society’s Secretary published – strange when that is the local newspaper for Brent!). As part of his research, he asked Brent Council whether they still planned to demolish the locally-listed heritage building, as they originally proposed in 2020. The answer he received was ‘we don’t know yet.’

 

That seems very odd, as Brent has been carrying out a review of its future plans for the Morland Gardens site since November 2023! Were they just covering themselves, as no formal decision has yet been made by Brent’s Cabinet? Or do they think that it should be retained, but are not sure whether those in power at the Civic Centre will still insist that it should be demolished, as that would allow more homes to be built on the site?

 

I’ve been told that the Cabinet’s decision will be made on 16 June, although there is no mention of this in the Council’s Forward Plan. It will apparently be part of the report on “The Future of the Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre” (which comes under Public Health and Leisure). The history society should be able to present its petition to the Cabinet meeting, but my experience from May last year, on another heritage matter, suggests that decisions are taken before petitioners have a chance to have their say!

 

I wanted to make sure that two key Cabinet members had the facts about the heritage building, and Brent’s official heritage policies, before that decision is made, so I sent them the open letter below (the email sending it was also copied to the Cabinet member for Public Health and Leisure, and the three Stonebridge Ward councillors). I hope that good sense prevails, but unfortunately that is not always the case in Brent!

 

 

Philip Grant       

 

                     

CORRECTED DATE: Launch of new public art paying tribute to the history of the Welsh Harp reservoir. May 16th 2.30pm - Booking essential

 

Wembley Matters has reported on the history of the Welsh Harp AKA Brent Reservoir in a series of illustrated articles by local historian Philip Grant. See LINK

 

Now there is a chance for local people to attend an event that reflects that history. Attendance is limited so it is important to book in advance. LINK

 

 BOOK HERE

 

This striking new sculpture, created using historic pulley wheels from the original dam, offers a powerful tribute to the reservoir's industrial past and its continuing importance in our community.

Please arrive between 2:30- 3 pm for a prompt 3 pm start.

The event includes:

 🔹 A chance to meet and hear from the artist behind the sculpture

🔹 Light refreshments and a moment to connect with fellow local history and art enthusiasts

Whether you're a history buff, art lover, or just curious, this will be a memorable and meaningful afternoon by the reservoir.