Cosy Cinema

In Buntingford, Hertfordshire, the Buntingford Cinema opened on 8th September 1933 in the Benson Hall, part of the Catholic church complex erected as a memorial to R. H. Benson during the First World War. The opening films were “Pack Up Your Troubles” starring Laurel & Hardy, and “Arsene Lupin” starring John and Lionel Barrymore. It had a small balcony; the floor was flat rather than raked. It was operated by E. H. Rockett as one of several of his part-time cinemas (films were shown only on Fridays and Saturdays). It soon closed, around March 1934, but was re-launched on 7th September 1934 under new management, as the Benson Hall Cinema. But that only lasted until January 1935.

Finally the cinema re-opened, now as the Cosy Cinema, in February 1936 with one programme on Mondays and Wednesdays and another on Thursdays and Saturdays, now run by A. E. Gore’s Touring Talking Picture Company of King’s Lynn. In July 1936 it closed for redecoration and alterations that included closing off the balcony to turn it into a projection box. With 200 seats it then operated for six days a week, presumably excluding Sundays in response to the church landlords. The last proprietor, from the early-1950’s, was a local man, Tom Cooper. It closed in August 1958.

After remaining empty for a few years, the hall was leased to an engineering firm and it became the Riverside Works of Keith Building Services. In September 1997, when my photograph was taken, it had reverted to church use, including occasional live shows using its 12ft deep stage and two dressing rooms.

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