Cottage Road: Historic Leeds cinema celebrates 113th birthday
It is believed to be the oldest continuously operating cinema in the UK.
Cottage Road Cinema in Headingley celebrates its 113th birthday on Tuesday, July 29, a milestone which will be marked with a screening on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1946 classic Notorious, starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.
It will also be 20 years since Charles Morris took over the running of the movie theatre on his birthday from the previous owners, Associated Tower Cinemas Ltd.
It was originally the Headingley Picture House when it first opened its doors on Monday, July 29, 1912, advertising continuous performances from 6pm to 10.30pm every evening except Sunday, with a matinee on Wednesdays and two children’s matinees on Saturday.
The picture house was converted from a private motor garage built in 1908 for one of the sons of the wealthy Kirk family who lived in the Castle Grove mansion in Moor road, at the top of Cottage Road.
In its early years it was run by Owen Brooks, an early cinema pioneer, and his partner George Reginald Smith. In later years it was taken over by Frank Thompson, of Golden Acre Park fame, then in 1938 it was bought by Associated Tower Cinemas who had about a dozen cinemas in Leeds and surrounding areas.
Associated Tower decided to end its involvement with cinemas in 2005, when it had just two cinemas left, and closed the Lounge cinema, Headingley, in January that year.
The Cottage Road was due to close in July 2005 and staff had been issued with redundancy notices. On his birthday - July 28 - Charles Morris and his wife Judy, who were operating other cinemas in Cumbria and Yorkshire, agreed a deal with Associated Tower and took over the following day.
“It was so last minute,” recalled Mr Morris, “That the early editions of the evening paper stated that the cinema was closing that day, but the later editions announced that it had been saved. Judy and I arrived on the morning of the 29th, signed the lease and an hour later were showing films there.. It was without doubt the most expensive birthday present I have ever given myself, but it was definitely worth it.”
Mr Morris took on the staff of the cinema including Steve Moore who has now completed 37 years of service. The manager, Gary Benn, has been there for almost 19 years.
“Everything is right for a celebration,” said Mr. Morris. “We thought of repeating the first programme shown in 1912, but it would have been a collection of silent shorts and the titles weren’t advertised. But for many years we have been screening classic films for one night once a month.
“It was a suggestion by the Far Headingley Village Society back in 2008 and we have continued it ever since. We normally show these on a Wednesday but this time it is on a Tuesday to coincide with the cinema’s birthday and the 20th anniversary of my takeover.
“We have chosen Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious, from 1946. You can always rely on Hitch for a good evening’s entertainment, and it will be preceded by a reel of vintage advertisements, which always bring a few laughs.”