Historic cinema's hoping birthday celebrations go off with a Hitch ...

It is believed to be the oldest continuously operating cinema in the UK.

- by Andrew Hutchinson

And 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 Limited.

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.