Bury St Edmunds’ Abbeygate Cinema to play films from past century to mark venue’s 100th birthday

A Bury St Edmunds cinema will be showcasing a collection of classic films from each decade of the past century to mark the venue’s 100th birthday.

From this Friday until November 9, Abbeygate Cinema will be playing some much-beloved titles, including The Shawshank Redemption, Jaws and The Big Lebowski to mark the milestone.

Movie fans will also have a chance to discover the site’s past with the cinema’s longest-serving employee, Pat Church, who will be leading historic tours.

Gareth Boggis, general manager, 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.”

The Hatter Street site has been home to moving images since 1924.

Over the decades, the cinema has had several names, including The Central, Studio 1 & 2, Cannon, MGM, ABC, Hollywood Cinema and Abbeygate Picturehouse.

It became fully independent in 2016 as Abbeygate Cinema.

Mr Boggis added: “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.”