Cambridgeshire's lost cinemas remembered as community venues

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 25 Oct, 09:32 · Archive

Five cinemas across Cambridgeshire that once served as community entertainment venues have closed over the decades.

Cambridgeshire's cinemas, from grand art deco picture houses to busy town-centre screens, once anchored community life across the county. While modern multiplexes have replaced them, many residents still remember the venues where they spent countless evenings.

The Grand Cinema began life in Huntingdon's former Corn Exchange and officially opened as a cinema on 1 January 1913. It survived a devastating fire in 1954 and reopened later that same year with modern facilities and a new screen. The cinema eventually closed in August 1964, after which the building was used for bingo before redevelopment. The Princess Cinema in Peterborough opened in 1929 and welcomed countless visitors during a time when a night at the cinema was among the most popular forms of entertainment. Odeon Theatres Ltd bought the Princess Cinema in 1936 before it was leased to J.F. Emery Circuit of Manchester in 1937. It closed in March 1958 with showings of 'Son of the Hunchback' and Charlie Chaplin in 'The Kid'.

The Playhouse Cinema served Cambridge residents and became the second cinema on Mill Road in 1913 when a brand new building was created. Like many cinemas of its era, it provided affordable entertainment and a shared community experience before television became widespread. Although little remains of the building today, the Playhouse occupies a notable place in Cambridge's cultural and entertainment heritage. The Hippodrome Cinema was arguably Huntingdon's most fondly remembered picture house.

How it is being reported

• 5 cinemas in Cambridgeshire we have loved and lostFrom grand art deco picture houses to busy town-centre screens, cinemas were once at the heart of communities across Cambridgeshire.Ely Standard · 25 Oct, 09:00
• 5 cinemas in Cambridgeshire we have loved and lostFrom grand art deco picture houses to busy town-centre screens, cinemas were once at the heart of communities across Cambridgeshire.Cambs Times · 25 Oct, 09:00

In this story: Huntingdon · Peterborough · Cambridge · Cambridgeshire · Odeon Theatres Ltd · J.F. Emery Circuit

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