Another month has passed without news from Woolton Picture House.
It remains closed, having not welcomed people through its doors since lockdown. The last update about the cinema's future came on October 4, 2022, when the owners "wished to respond to some of the speculation we have seen and provide assurances to you with regards to future plans".
In that social media update, they shared plans to reopen by spring, subject to the economic climate. Additionally, the Facebook post promised monthly updates on reopening.
READ MORE: Customer throws £50 into Deli Van forced to pay £6k or leave pitch
The best part of seven months have passed and there have been no more updates. It is another frustrating period of silence from owners who promised to bring the grand old cinema back to life, but have shown little evidence of progress.
Woolton Picture House first opened in 1927. It calls itself the "oldest surviving cinema in Liverpool". The last three years have called that into question.
The cinema was saved from permanent closure during the coronavirus pandemic. A combination of government funding and a GoFundMe campaign allowed the cinema to survive, with nearly £50,000 to support its reopening.
In December 2021, the cinema shared plans to reopen in 2022. That did not happen.
Ten months of silence followed its December 2021 statement, with people left in the dark. In October, it finally shared its plans but this current silent period has followed.
The cinema is at the heart of Woolton. It is a distinctive, historic building where generations have discovered their love of cinema.
Its red seats, intermissions and single screen hark back to a bygone era, when cinemas had charm and personality. It should not be consigned to history.
There is clearly an appetite to bring the cinema back. People in Woolton and beyond care about the cinema.
Generous people donated to the crowd funder in their droves, raising £25,000 at a crucial time. The British Film Institute (BFI) deemed the cinema important enough to assign government funding to keep it alive during the pandemic.
Woolton Picture House has received a lot of public money. The public deserves to know what is happening.
Granted, the economic climate is brutal for all small businesses. A multitude of factors, including the popularity of streaming, mean that the cinema industry is not in the easiest place.
However, the least the owners can do is keep their word. They have said they are committed to reopening the cinema. People need to see evidence of that.
They have said they will provide monthly updates about reopening. Now is the time to start.
People have shown they care and they want to help. Woolton councillor Kris Brown says the issue fills his inbox, with his constituents worried about the cinema's future and offering their assistance with bringing it back to life.
The ECHO's many attempts to contact the cinema have failed, but I have followed this story for months partly because it is a place that means a lot to me. It is a place where I spent many happy days as a kid. I want to see it screening films and thriving, offering more people the chance to fall in love with cinema.
To quote a rather famous film, my message to the owners is: help me help you.
READ NEXT
Thomas Cashman's final desperate message to try and intimidate 'accomplice' Paul Russell
Live updates as police cordon off road lined with houses in Rice Lane
These are the faces of 39 Merseyside criminals who were jailed during April
'My husband's body was treated like a bag of rubbish after he died on our living room floor'
Mum discovered cancer after buying £39 test she saw on Facebook
