Our competition to win a cinema experience at the 1920’s cinema in Armley Mills Industrial Museum was won by the delightful Eve Carter, from the International Faculty at Leeds Metropolitan University. She amassed her regular film club buddies with pretty short notice and after quaffing cherry bombs, cream soda, coke floats and homemade popcorn sat down to enjoy the original Thomas Crown Affair. As a (pretty hot) Steve McQueen and Faye Dunnaway sizzled over chess, we could hear the ripple of amused titillation from our hidey hole in the projection room. We loved climatic technicolor fade that saved our blushes.
Our huge thanks to Jane at I Love West Leeds Festival, for sponsoring this prize, and to the museum’s staff Nina and Leslie who gave up their evenings to be ushers.
I Love West Leeds Festival will be launching a regular film club as of September, why not make a few suggestions as to the films you might like to see in this charming little cinema. Furthermore it is available for hire for private parties, just contact Jane Earnshaw (details on the Festival website)
‘Few people enter competitions thinking they’ll actually win, but lady luck finally made an appearance for me; and 15 members of our cinema club.
I saw the most terrific prize on Culture Vulture, to win the use of a 1920’s cinema house for the evening. It was something that would be right up my street, so I was tickled pink to discover that it actually is.
I won the opportunity to choose a film to be screened, in one of the most fitting environments possible. If you appreciate the heritage, interior and uniqueness of Hyde Park Picture House, then you’d fall head over heels for it’s cinematic younger sibling.
The cinema was located inside Armley Mills, which is locally renowned for being a popular school excursion.The children of work colleagues had enjoyed wearing period dress, and learning about local history. Our enjoyment would ironically be more tailored to our interests, so the Mill was still fully functional.
As we entered, it were as though we were stepping back through time, so I was pleased to have chosen a film from the 60’s. We watched the Thomas Crown Affair, ate popcorn; and supped on ‘Coke Floats’. There were old smells, an old film and what constituted good old fashioned fun. I hadn’t just won a cinema for the evening, I had won what memories are made of.
There are certain things which you shouldn’t do on your own door step, but Armley Mills certainly isn’t one of them. Places of interest, which are close to home; sometimes get put to the bottom of the ‘places to visit list’. This is not because they don’t rate highly on the priority list, it’s usually because you presume they’ll always be there- when you finally get around to it. My main concern is, if we all follow this philosophy, Heritage Sites will be committed to history.
If you live in a city centre apartment, and can’t squeeze in more than 2 friends to snuggle up and watch a film; then you could hire out this cinema. If [like myself] you organise a cinema club, then you could club together quite affordably for exclusivity. When you stumble on something special, you sometimes want to keep it to yourself; but this is an experience to be shared.’
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