Cottage Road Cinema in Leeds set to celebrate 113th birthday

A Leeds cinema, believed to be the oldest continuously operating cinema in the UK, is set to celebrate its 113th birthday on Tuesday 29th July.

Transcript

00:00Whether or not you're a Headingley local, you'll likely know about or have been to the Cottage Road Cinema,

00:06and it's likely the Leeds-based generation or two above you will know or have known about it too.

00:12It's believed to be the oldest continuously operating cinema in the country, and it's set to mark its 113th birthday.

00:20Originally the Headingley Picture House, it first opened its doors on Monday 29th July 1912,

00:26advertising continuous performances from 6pm to 10.30pm each evening except on Sundays,

00:32with a matinee on Wednesdays and two children's matinees on Saturday.

00:37The Picture House was converted from a private motor garage built in 1908

00:41for one of the sons of the wealthy Kirk family who lived in the Castle Grove mansion on Moore Road.

00:47In its early years it was run by Owen Brooks, an early cinema pioneer, and his partner George Reginald Smith.

00:53In later years it was taken over by Frank Thompson of Golden Acre Park fame,

00:58and in 1938 it was bought by Associated Tower Cinemas, who had about a dozen cinemas in Leeds and the surrounding area.

01:06The cinema was due to close in July 2005, and staff had been issued with redundancy notices,

01:12but Charles Morris and his wife Judy agreed a deal to take over the cinema on the 28th of July that year,

01:18which was Charles' birthday.

01:20Mr Morris took on the staff of the cinema, including Steve Moore, who has now completed 37 years of service.

01:28The manager, Gary Benn, has been there for almost 19 years.

01:31The milestone will be marked with a screening of Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 classic film Notorious,

01:37starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.

01:40The film will also be preceded by a reel of vintage advertisements.

01:44The film will also be a star, but in the back of the actress's