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Central Cinema, Hobson Street

Central Cinema / Cambridge Automobile and Engineering Co, 21 Hobson Street

History of Cambridge Automobile and Engineering Co

1861 21 Hobson Street

Charles Cowles, 34, groom, b Cambridge
Betsey, 35, b Shelford
William, 14, French polisher, b Ireland
Selina, 11, b Cambridge
Charles, 8, b Cambridge

1871 ?

1881 21 Hobson Street

Joseph Gelby, 43, groom, b West Wratting
Emma, 43, b West Wratting
Mary E, 16, b West Wratting

1891 21 Hobson St

Jesse Butler, 27, groom, b Swaffham Bulbeck
Amelia, 27, b Swaffham Bulbeck
William E, 3 mos, b Cambridge

1901 21 Hobson Street

William Blackwell, 32, coachman, b Cambridge
Emma, 27, b Hunts
Louisa E, 3, b Cambridge
William A Blackwell, 7 mos,

1911 The Cambridge Automobile & Engineering Co Ltd

Harry Smith, 26, garage man (in charge), b Trumpington

Cambridge Automobile Company (MoC)

1913

Cambridge Automobile and Engineering Co Ltd

R de la Rue & Cuthbert Foster, managing directors
H Oswin Mills, secretary

Cambridge Automobile Ltd Hobson Street

1916

Women window cleaners Cambridge Automobile and Engineering Co, Hobson Street, 1916 (Cambridgeshire Collection)

1921

Central Cinema opened and was rebuilt in 1930.

Hobson Street 1921. Cambridge Automobile Engineering (photo J Johnson) (Cambridgeshire Collection)

1928

Central Cinema, Hobson Street c.1928 (Cambridgeshire Collection)

1930

Central Cinema built

Cambridge Historic Core Appraisal report notes the tiled glazed facade and its Egyptienne style.

1939

Fire at Central Cinema spread to Cambridge Motor Service Company causing £2,000 damage.

1962

Central Cinema

2021

Building of Local Interest. Planning proposals for the site were published in 2021. A commentary on these can be found here:

Save Cambridge’s Art Deco cinema!

2024

The owner of the Central Cinema site has published plans to redevelop it which involve the demolition of the building including its fascia. This has prompted complaints from organisations such as the Cinema Theatre Association and has led to some interesting documents coming to light which are examined in the following article.

The Cinema Theatre Association’s history of the Hobson Street Cinema

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This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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