Playhouse c1936, CC ILK320129

44a (40 – 42) (2) (3) Mill Road, The Windmill, The Playhouse, Cambridge

Cambridge’s first purpose-built cinema

No. 44a is on the south side of Mill Road at the corner with Covent Garden. Originally a stonemason’s yard it became the second cinema on Mill Road in 1913 when a brand new building was created. It was closed after the introduction of the entertainment tax in 1963 (along with the Tivoli on Milton Road) and became a Fine Fare supermarket and then the much loved Sally Ann’s charity shop.

Read the complete building report (PDF)

Watch Ian Bent talk about the history of the site.

Did You Know

The Playhouse was Cambridge’s first custom built cinema.

The cinema featured amber and pink spotlights, soft music, coloured curtains, gilded decor, blue-uniformed staff, and a facade with copper-domed towers and white marble steps.

The Fine Fare was Cambridge’s first modern supermarket with open shelves, a big display window, and a line of checkouts.

Timeline

1868 – Stonemason’s Yard, R. S. Naylor
1878 – Stonemason’s Yard, George Mann
1884 – Stonemason’s Yard, George Bailey
1898 – Ivett & Reed
1913 – The Picture Playhouse
1930 – ‘Talkies’ introduced
1937 – Becomes an ABC cinema
1956 – Cinema closed
1963 – Fine Fare Supermarket
1985 – Sally Ann’s Charity Shop
2019 – Sally Ann’s closes

Census entries etc

This plot was originally part of the windmill site which was sold in 1844.

1861 (2 & 3)

Robert S Maylor, 50, stonemason, brewer and publican, b Isle of Wight

---

1871 (2) The Windmill

Frederick Cowell, 38, brewer and publican, b Cambridge

---

1881 (3) Windmill Arms?

Frederick Covell, 49, brewer and publican, b Cambridge

---

1891 (2) The Windmill

George Bailey, 38, monumental mason, b Cambridge
Annie, 29, b Birmingham
Walter, 4, b Cambridge
Stanley G, 10 mos, b Cambridge
Jane Reeves, 14, servant, b Cambridge

---

28 September 1900
The licence of the Windmill public house came before the licensing magistrates when its renewal was opposed. Evidence was heard concerning the management of the premises, and the magistrates decided not to renew the licence. The case attracted considerable local interest because it formed part of wider efforts to reduce the number of licensed houses in Cambridge.Credit: Mike Petty Archive.

19 October 1900
Following an appeal, the decision concerning the Windmill was overturned and the licence was restored. The appeal court ruled in favour of the licensee, allowing the public house to continue trading despite the earlier refusal by the local licensing bench.Credit: Mike Petty Archive.

---

1901 the Windmill (42) (There was officially no no.40 in Mill Road in this census)

Albert Brand, 48, licensed victualler,
Mary Ann, 52,
Elizabeth S, 19,
Harriett, 16, pupil teacher,
Elliott, 14, hairdresser apprentice

In 1911 the Brand family were in Mawson Road. In 1891 they were at 46 (34a) Covent Garden; in 1881 at 3 Auckland Cottages.

See Mill Road Cemetery entry

(42a) Fruiterer’s Shop

---

12 July 1912 – Proposals for a new cinema theatre on the corner of Covent Garden and Mill Road prompted suggestions that the building should be set farther back from the road. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 12 July 1912.

---

1913 (40 & 42) The Playhouse

---

14 February 1913 – Construction of the new Electric Theatre in Mill Road was reported to be making progress. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 14 February 1913.

11 April 1913 – W. L. Raynes applied for cinematograph and music licences for the new Picture Playhouse being built in Mill Road. The fireproof building was designed to seat 167 people in the gallery and 602 in the main auditorium. Architect Mr Baines said its 25-foot walls complied with the by-laws and were reinforced with steel stanchions. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 11 April 1913.

18 April 1913 – The Electric Picture Palace on the corner of Covent Garden and Mill Road was taking shape, with as many as 35 men employed on its construction. It was expected to have the handsomest frontage of any Cambridge entertainment venue, a sheltered vestibule for 60 waiting customers and plush upholstered tip-up seats. Adrian Jordan was to manage both the Mill Road theatre and the Electric Theatre on Market Hill, although they would show different programmes. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 18 April 1913.

2 May 1913 – Builders eating their dinner at the new Mill Road Picture Palace were distracted by a man pointing towards a passing aeroplane. While they watched, he seized a dinner bag and fled, pursued by a policeman, fireman and Boy Scout who apparently caught him with a lasso. The incident had been staged by the theatre management and filmed for showing at the Electric Theatre on Market Hill. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 2 May 1913.

9 May 1913 – The new Mill Road Picture Playhouse announced that it would open at 2.30 p.m. on Whit Monday with what was advertised as the strongest film programme yet presented in Cambridge. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 9 May 1913.

16 May 1913 – The newly opened Picture Playhouse was described as Cambridge’s most comfortable cinema. Its imposing frontage had domes and a balcony, while the brightly lit interior included a magnificent proscenium and seating for nearly 800 people. Every seat was occupied on the first evening and hundreds were turned away. A small orchestra accompanied the films, which included locally produced footage and The 13th Man. Performances were continuous and the programme changed twice weekly. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 16 May 1913.

23 May 1913 – Magistrates considered two cases connected with the new Picture Playhouse. The builders, Messrs Pictor and Sons, were accused under the Lord’s Day Observance Act of working on Whit Sunday, but the case was dismissed for lack of evidence. The manager of the Electric Light Company was fined for leaving his motor car across the footway in Covent Garden behind the cinema. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 23 May 1913.

25 July 1913 – The Picture Playhouse showed a 230-foot film made by its own cameraman of the women’s suffrage procession through Cambridge. It recorded the pilgrims’ arrival on Saturday and departure on Monday. The programme was accompanied by classical and popular music performed by Max Bennett and the Playhouse orchestra. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 25 July 1913.

---

For a complete listing of films shown at the Playhouse in 1914:

https://www.myoldarndtlilley.com/world-war-1-resources/movie-film-in-world-war-one/cambridge-cinema-listings/

10 April 1914 – Proposed regulations would have required every cinema to employ a uniformed fireman. Representatives of the Picture Playhouse argued that it had been built to meet all existing fire regulations, possessed blankets and firefighting equipment and held a fire drill every week. They maintained that a uniformed fireman would be expensive and might cause panic during an emergency. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 10 April 1914.

13 November 1914 – Around 100 wounded British soldiers were entertained at the Playhouse and rose to cheer 50 wounded Belgian soldiers who were also guests of the management. The Belgians responded with three cheers for their British comrades, while local women distributed tea, chocolates and cigarettes. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 13 November 1914.

17 September 1915 – The Cambridge Men’s Brotherhood, established ten years earlier at St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church, announced that its meetings would in future be held at the Playhouse in Mill Road. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 17 September 1915.

16 December 1926 – The Playhouse manager, Mr Carne, was revealed to be the singer “Victor Carne”, whose recordings for the Vocalion Gramophone Company included The Holy City and The Star of Bethlehem. He had also performed in wireless broadcasts from London and Daventry. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 16 December 1926.

16 March 1927 – Picture Playhouses Ltd completed negotiations to sell the Mill Road Playhouse to a syndicate believed to own the Central Cinema and Tivoli. The transfer was expected to take place in September. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 16 March 1927.

---

1930s

20 September 1930 – A two-hour electricity failure affected the whole of Mill Road just as the first performances ended at the Playhouse and Kinema. The Kinema audience passed the time by community singing, while difficulties arose among the queue waiting for the Playhouse’s final performance, which did not finish until midnight. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 20 September 1930.

17 January 1936 – Entertainer Raymond Bennett returned to Cambridge after developing a successful music-hall and broadcasting career. He had made some of his earliest semi-professional appearances in cine-variety performances at the Mill Road Playhouse before achieving national recognition with his partner in the act Bennett and McNaughton. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 17 January 1936.

16 May 1951 – The Playhouse celebrated 38 years of entertainment with a special birthday month arranged by manager Eric Dallman. Telegrams were received from film stars Richard Todd and Joan Dowling. W. J. Pugh, who had attended the cinema since its opening in 1913, was introduced to the audience, along with long-serving employee Mrs F. Hewett, who had performed almost every job apart from operating the projector. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 16 May 1951.

21 May 1951 – The finals of a crooning competition were held at the Playhouse between Eve Lynn and Bob Garner. Singer Dickie Valentine judged the competition, while Freddy Webb and his band provided the music. Garner won the Vaughan Monroe trophy, after which Valentine performed three songs for the audience. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 21 May 1951.

22 May 1953 – The Playhouse marked its fortieth anniversary. When it opened at Whitsun 1913 it offered two evening performances and a Saturday children’s matinée. Its own cameraman had produced local newsreels featuring events such as the Cambridge Police Sports and Juvenile Fishing Match, accompanied by the theatre orchestra under musical director Max Bennett. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 22 May 1953.

22 December 1956 – Raymond Bennett lamented the closure of the Playhouse, where he had made his debut as a solo music-hall performer. He recalled that the cinema once maintained a small orchestra and presented a weekly variety act alongside the films. Performers had included humorous baritone Godwin Hunt, comedian George Gass and conjuror Sydney Pratt. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 22 December 1956.

---

1962 (44a)

Fine Fare supermarket

---

7 July 1983 – Cambridge pianist Doris Waterson recalled beginning her career accompanying silent films at the old Mill Road Playhouse. She later played for ballet and dance classes, performed with Josephine’s Gypsy Orchestra and entertained troops during the Second World War. Mike Petty Archive: Cambridge Mill Road Scrapbook 1897–1990, 7 July 1983.

---

Early days

In 1868, the site appeared to have been a stonemason’s yard (R. S. Naylor; by 1878 George Mann; by 1884 George Bailey).  By 1898 it finally surrendered its role as a mason’s yard to the firm of Ivett & Reed, which had established itself across Mill Road, between the entrance to the Avenue of Limes and Mackenzie Road, and served the Cemetery. The corner of Covent Garden was now listed as ‛40 Bailey, George, The Windmill / 42 Whitehead, A. fruiterer’. That The Windmill was indeed a public house is lent credence in 1911, when George Bailey’s successor, Albert Brand, is listed as ‛licensed victualler’.

Playhouse

On 1 July 1912, Cymos Ltd of Sardinia House, Kingsway, London, submitted plans for the erection of a ‛Cinema Theatre’ in Cambridge. A new company was formed to build and operate the cinema: Cambridge Picture Playhouses Ltd, Norfolk Street, London.

The ‛Playhouse’ opened on Whit Monday, 12 May 1913. In 1927 the cinema was sold to the syndicate called Playhouse (Cambridge) Ltd, which operated the Central Cinema in Hobson Street.  An image of the frontage from before 1935 shows the name given as ‛THE PICTURE PLAYHOUSE’ . In 1935, the company (by then Cambridge Cinemas Ltd) was taken over by the Union Cinema Co Ltd of Wardour Street, London, and the Playhouse was absorbed into the Union circuit, only for the company to be taken over in 1937 by Associated British Cinemas Ltd (ABC).

The side wall down Covent Garden is where cinema attendees would queue to get in to the show.  Whilst waiting many would score their initials into the wall or simply make holes with the coins they held.

Fine Fare

Fine Fare already had a store on Fitzroy Street, but that on Mill Road was the first to be called ‛Fine Fare Supermarket’, and to have open shelves and checkouts.  The new store was opened in 1963, and operated for twenty-two years.

Sally Ann’s Charity Shop

The Salvation Army (Sally Ann’s) Charity Shop opened on 5 August 1985. It was unusual among charity shops at the time for having its own laundry facilities and canteen upstairs. The shop closed on 18 January 2019, moving to a smaller location nearby on Tenison Road.

Before the closure Mill Road History Society collected some memories from the volunteers (PDF) and some photos from the last day.

 

 

Further information

• Read the complete building report (PDF)
• The Sally Ann Shop 1985-2019
• Sally Ann’s last day on Mill Road