Abbeygate Cinema Bury St Edmunds celebrates centenary year

Abbeygate Cinema, Hatter Street, Bury St Edmunds, first opened in 1924 and has been a home for moving images throughout the generations.

From humble beginnings as a music hall to now hosting the biggest screens in the town, 2024 marks its centenary year and a special programme of films taking inspiration from each decade of the last century has been drawn up for the milestone.

Abbeygate Cinema in a time gone by (Image: Abbeygate Cinema)

From August 23 to November 9, classics including The Shawshank Redemption, Bladerunner, Jaws and The Big Lebowski will be added to the schedule for a nostalgic look-back at films set since the 1920s. 

Other unique events including audience selections and history tours with the cinema’s longest-running employee, Pat Church. 

Advertising for films, including Paint Your Wagon, released in 1969 (Image: Abbeygate Cinema)

General Manager, Gareth Boggis, said: "We are delighted to be celebrating 100 years of film on Hatter Street.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to reminisce and remember all of the amazing connections made here, from first dates, first films for children to lifelong friendships amongst the team- past and present.

"We start the celebrations with JAWS, a film that means a lot to Pat and with tickets at £1.50, we hope for a full screen to kick things off with a bang." 

Gareth Boggis (Image: Abbeygate Cinema)

Abbeygate Cinema started out when The Central music hall in Hatter Street began showing moving images as part of their entertainment in 1924. 

In 1959, businessman Harold Miller purchased the cinema and re-named it Abbeygate, with renovation work in 1970 seeing a second screen open. 

Forty years on, in 2010, Picture House bought the business and introduced new digital projectors. 

The front of Abbeygate Cinema many years ago (Image: Abbeygate Cinema)

After the Covid-19 pandemic Abbeygate reopened in 2021, with a state-of-the-art Premier Screen.

Pat Church has worked at Abbeygate since 1966 when he, aged 19, became an assistant projectionist. 

Pat Church (Image: Newsquest)

In a centenary brochure created for the milestone, Mr Church said: "I felt completely at home, made new friends and easily settled in with a staff member as their lodger, and soon became part of the family.

"Should anyone believe in destiny, this was mine! And the rest, they say, is history.

"In eighteen months time I shall have completed 60 years service to the Abbeygate cinema and loved every moment of it." 

(Image: Abbeygate Cinema)

Mr Church, now the heritage and engagement manager, will host a talk and tour event on October 8 and an intimate evening of storytelling and anecdotes on October 18.

An old fashioned projector at Abbeygate Cinema (Image: Abbeygate Cinema)

Many memories have been recalled in this centenary year, one of the most unique being a truly wild way to promote a new Disney movie.

In 1992, employee Gerry Church looked for ways to promote upcoming film The Lion King, and planned an unusual collaboration with Banham Zoo in Norfolk. 

The zoo brought a lion cub along to the film's premiere, with Gerry grabbing the chance to give it a cuddle and a bottle-feed.

Of the milestone, Gareth Boggis said: "It has been a hard couple of years for cinema, but we are delighted to be backed by our wonderful and loyal membership base.

"Throughout our centenary celebrations, a member can bring a guest for free to any of these special screenings.

"We take great pride in being the oldest cinema in Bury St Edmunds and our close connections to the local community.

"As well as being a celebration, we are also fundraising for a defibrillator to help keep Hatter Street and wider safe," he added.

Other films that will take to the screens during the next few months include The Green Mile, The Great Gatsby, Catch Me If You Can and The Social Network.