Northumberland's only full time independent cinema is set to celebrate a big anniversary next month.
The Forum Cinema on Hexham's Market Place opened to the public on Monday August 23 under the management of Tom Scott from the Hexham Entertainment Company. Tickets cost just one shilling (five pence in today's money) and the residents were treated to a screening of George Formby's Keep Your Seats, Please.
And to mark the occasion, there's a range of events and activities planned, including 85p tickets and classic screenings. Those special 85p screenings are both of films from the year the Forum opened, 1937, with the original A Star is Born the cinema's anniversary, August 23, and Walt Disney's first feature length animation A Star Is Born on August 27.
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However, the first birthday celebration comes earlier than that on August 13, with a free talk from a local historian, Mark Benjamin, in the cinema's café and bar. As well as the events above, there will be a selection of paintings and illustrations of local schoolchildren's favourite cinema characters, while a James Bond: No Time To Die poster will be raffled off for free.
For residents of Hexham and the surrounding areas, the Forum aims to be more than just a cinema. Earlier this year, it led the Tyne Valley Film Festival, which screened a range of flicks across 17 venues from Haltwhistle to Ryton, including Hexham Abbey.
The cinema is owned by Hexham Community Partnership and a portion of its profits go towards supporting Hexham, its residents and the businesses that operate in the market town. Marketing officer Chris Kelly believes this is one of the reasons for the Forum's success, saying: "The main thing that we do is show films and cinema but it's about creating that community and trying to reach as many people as we can through having a diverse programme of films.
"It's also about working with community organisations for accessible screenings and creating a community through the cinema is what we strive to achieve."
Chris added: "I grew up going to the Forum to watch films and I have those vivid memories of seeing Lord of the Rings there and the Narnia film on Christmas Eve. It's nice to think that by doing what we do, hopefully other people will have those long lasting memories from when they come now.
"It's a really nice experience to see something on the big screen, especially for young people, and that sort of escapism sticks with you so I hope that we leave that lasting impression."
Have you been to Hexham's Forum Cinema? Let us know!
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