History and Popcorn @ Hyde Park Picture House, Headingley Leeds

Hyde Park Picture House

There’s something magical about watching a film in Hyde Park Picture House.

Located in the heart of Hyde Park, a bohemian community where many students live and a 25 minute walk from Leeds city centre, the ornate gas lamp outside lights up the Edwardian facade like a film set, as you enter past the small ticket kiosk… into the slightly musty interior to be whisked back to the heyday of the grand old Picture Houses, that provided the main entertainment for the general public from 1910 to the 1940s.

These cinemas were purpose built to screen the first moving pictures on celluloid film, a process pioneered by the French brothers, August and Louis Lumière and subsequently the British inventor William Friese-Green. Though original recordings were short documentaries of every day events, the early 20th century saw the emergence of narrative film with camera movements, optical effects and editing.Designed to  make ordinary people feel like royalty, the Picture Houses reflected all the glamour and grandeur of aristocratic architecture, being highly decorated in styles that were variously Art Deco, High Gothic, Moroccan, Mediterranean, Renaissance, Hindu and even Egyptian revival.

Hyde Park Picture House: A Cinema Through The Ages

The Hyde Park Picture House is an example of an Edwardian venue and is a Grade ll listed building.

As expectant whispers die down a red curtain swishes open to reveal the screen, and you’re taken back to the days when watching a film was truly a special occasion: when romance was in the air and courtships were conducted on the back row beneath a canopy of cigarette smoke.

As happened in all the old Picture Houses there’s a proper intermission when you can join an orderly queue for delicious ice-cream served by kindly staff, before returning to your squidgy seat that squeaks as you sit down! For all the Picture House’s history, modern day comforts are not neglected: you can enjoy good-quality popcorn served alongside the Earl Grey tea, and you’ll find it’s at a much cheaper cost than the jumbo sized containers dished out in the multiplexes.

Hyde Park Picture House was originally built as a hotel in 1908 and converted to a cinema in 1914 amidst the turmoil surrounding the outbreak of World War l, as thousands of the young men of Leeds rushed to enlist in the armed services. On 7th November 1914, the Hyde Park Picture House opened its doors to the public for the first time and amongst the news of war and earth-shattering events all over the world, a small advert in the Yorkshire Evening Post proclaimed it the “Cosiest in Leeds.”

The first film shown was Their Only Son, billed as a patriotic drama, followed by An English Man’s Honor about a possible German invasion of Britain. Fortunately the progress of the war didn’t interfere with the cinema’s success, in fact it provided a useful service screening news reels and bulletins, war footage and morale boosting dramas as well as providing an avenue of escape into different worlds for the war weary citizens of Leeds. Audiences continued to grow as the cinema reached its zenith and a visit to the Picture House became for many, the highlight of the week.

Over the years the Picture House rode the storm of technical developments and social change: the advent of talkies in the late 20s meant that it had to be quickly converted to relay sound; the 1930s saw the small cinema under threat with the advent of the “super cinemas” in Leeds, huge city centre movie houses capable of seating up to 3,000 people; in the 1950s, as television became accessible in homes, people preferred to stay at home to watch their favourite programmes, a trend that continued into the 1980s and 90s when the advent of video and later DVDs posed a new threat.

Ironically, the renaissance that came about after huge blockbuster movies such as Star Wars and Jaws brought audiences back to the cinema in droves was not so beneficial for smaller movie houses – as multiplexes began to spring up in the out of town shopping areas, city centre cinemas were forced to convert to bingo halls, restaurants and nightclubs.

In 1989 Hyde Park Picture House reached a turning point when it was threatened with closure. Fortunately, Leeds City Council moved to rescue it from the brink of disaster and made it part of the Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House Ltd; an independent company dedicated to preserving some of Leeds’ most iconic and culturally important buildings; the Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, the City Varieties and the Hyde Park Picture House. The company operates as a registered charity and is governed by its memorandum and articles of association.

There’s the added bonus that staff are also more motivated and dedicated, which creates a friendly atmosphere; adding to the original decor, retro atmosphere and enthusiastic clientele, the Hyde Park Picture House offers a unique and homely backdrop to some of the world’s best films.

Address:
Hyde Park Picture House
Brudenell Road
Headingley
Leeds
LS6 1JD

Tel: 0113 275 2045
Contact: info@hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk  

Regulars agree that only good films are shown, so you can’t go wrong and you can sign up to receive free weekly listings, emails, updates and news or download the programme in PDF format. Online booking is also available. Though admission prices are around the same as for a multiplex, sweets and drinks are cheaper and you can even bring your own.

How to find the Hyde Park Picture House

By Car: from city centre follow signs for A660 to Skipton to Woodhouse Lane. From North Leeds, follow signs to A660. Hyde Park is in between Headingley and Leeds City Centre.
Parking is available on the forecourt or on the street around the cinema.

By Bus: from city centre – the 56 runs frequently and stops right outside the cinema. Alternatively take the 1, 28, 95, 96, 97 or 97A and get off at Hyde Park Corner.

By Train: take the train to Burley Park Station and take the Cardigan Road exit.

Accessibility:
Level access is available to the stalls via the Brudenell Road fire exit. There are four wheelchair spaces in auditorium but toilets are not yet accessible via wheelchair. Full assistance is available. Some films have audio description and sub titles.
Guide dogs welcome.

Admission Prices (correct at going time of publishing):
Balcony £6
Adult: stalls £5.50
Concessions: stalls £4.50
Friends: stalls or balcony £4
Children under 14: £4, mid week matinee before 5pm: £3.50

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