Haunting images of Ayr’s Odeon have shown the final days of the iconic cinema.
Moving stills have captured a “moment in time” as a lone cinema-goer takes in one of the last ever screenings at the historic picture house.
Departing staff also pose in the revealing pictures taken on Wednesday, May 31 ahead of the Odeon’s closure on Monday, June 5.
Two workers are spotted serving popcorn on one of their last shifts and another worker smiles as he stands in the auditorium in front of the big screen.
The man behind the lens is photographer Gavin Macqueen, who captured the powerful pictures with childhood pal Darren Tomlinson the lone audience member.
The pair from Prestwick, now living in Glasgow, journeyed down to the coast for a place that was a landmark of their youth.
Gavin told Ayrshire Live: “After hearing the sad news of the imminent demise, we paid homage for one last time. I went along with my camera to get some pictures as a record of the last days. It is a moment in time.
“The Ayr Odeon has been a town landmark since the 1930s for generations of cinema goers, including ourselves.
“It was quite gutting to revisit knowing that this was the last time. The film was Fast X and it was a bit of a let down but the experience of being at this iconic cinema in its final days was worth it.
“The pictures are really haunting. It was just us who were on the Wednesday around 5pm. We were the only ones at the screening.
“Some of the staff were happy to be pictured. We bumped into another family whilst we were there who were going to another screening.”
Gavin and Darren would both journey into Ayr in the 1980s and 1990s to head to the Odeon as part of their first days of freedom as young lads.
The film enthusiasts, both 47, witnessed the classics like the original Star Wars, Pulp Fiction, Jurassic Park and Trainspotting all in the Burns State Square venue.
Darren believes the closure of the Odeon has robbed a generation of South Ayrshire youngsters being able to head to their local cinema, with the Odeon located across from the train station.
Darren said: “It was such a right of passage when you were younger, to travel into Ayr to go to the Odeon. It was a landmark of our youth.
“It felt really sad to be there one last time. It feels like the end of an era, not just for us, but for so many in Ayrshire. It was a bit emotional. It just felt more final. I think Ayr has lost a bit of its history with its closure.”
The Odeon closed its doors on Monday and has already been ‘stripped bare’ with cinema bosses removing the front signage, leaving behind an empty column.
Pictures taken by Ayrshire Live show posters up confirming that the Odeon had closed. A campaign tried in vain to save the Odeon last month.
Cinema-goers protested outside of the historic cinema as they held up signs reading ‘Don’t Go-deon’ amongst other slogans.
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