2015-10-16
2725
Woodmanshythe is a small town. About 3,000 people live here. It is unusual for a town of this size to have a good cinema. It is even more unusual, however, to have a cinema that is run by a group of 12 people. The group is a real mixture: there is a businessman, two teenage school-children, three housewives, four old-age pensioners, a school-teacher, and the local vicar. Major Richard Danby is the oldest of the group. He is 73 and he lives in the small flat above the cinema. He is the caretaker and is always ready — and proud—to show visitors the cinema, and to talk about it.
«It all started ten years ago. There was a large store here which was for sale. A couple of us old people thought that it would be the ideal place for an activity centre. Not just for pensioners, but for the young ones too. There wasn't anywhere where people could get together. Then by chance we heard that the cinema in Workshop — that's our nearest big town — was closing down. So we thought «Bingo!» All its equipment was for sale. I contacted Jim Breasley, who is our financial brain, and before we knew where we were, we had plans drawn up for a cinema here. He did all the calculations, and we were promised a lot of help by the town council. A couple of companies has given us money as well. We made a broad group of twelve people representing all ages and interests — as far as possible, anyway — and this very nice cinema is the result of it!»
The cinema shows films five nights a week (not on Sundays and Mondays). There are also two afternoon programmes a week for children. Old age pensioners have the cinema two mornings a month, and there is a film club that uses the cinema once a fortnight.
«We try to show a mixture of films: we try to get the very newest ones, we show some of the old classics, and we have had one or two of the violent films as well. That always gives a good bit of discussion afterwards!»
The discussions take place in the cafeteria, which is a large room at the side of the foyer. It is open in the mornings and afternoons as well, and many people enjoy just dropping in here for a chat and something to drink. «It's all part of the centre-idea, you see,» says Major Danby proudly.
