The Picture House, Keighley

In the heyday of cinema there were at least five cinemas in Keighley, providing entertainment, education and visual pleasure to the inhabitants of the town. Now there is only one picture palace left, the Picture House, which this year celebrates its centenary. It has survived two world wars, various incarnations and interior revamps and has now confidently entered the digital age with all its attendant modern technology. But its exterior remains essentially as it was, with little rework, although it is worth noting that the doors, with their scrolled film-stip metal handles, originally graced the prestigious Odeon Cinema, Leicester Square, London. The contrast between this fine building, constructed from traditional building materials in the style of the period, and the First Direct Arena, Leeds, a picture of which I uploaded yesterday, can hardly be greater, but I think I know which I prefer. I hope that the people of Keighley will long continue to support their fine cinema.