Wetherby's Cinema

In 1865, the site on Caxton Street was acquired by a consortium, headed by local entrepreneur Henry Crossley for £2000. In 1914, his son, George, started work redeveloping the residential cottages as a cinema, which was completed in 1915. Crossley sold the cinema that year to Raby Picture House Ltd, a Leeds based cinema operating company. The cinema then had a capacity of 260, which has since been reduced to 136. At the time of the cinema's opening, Wetherby lacked mains electricity and so a 400 volt gas-powered generator provided power. That and the flammable nitrate film then in use meant that the projection room required steel shutters to contain any potential fire. They still remain…