Crowds turn out for Regal’s return (From Evesham Journal)

Crowds turn out for Regal’s return

9:40am Wednesday 1st February 2012 in News

LIGHTS dimmed and film rolled once again as Evesham’s Regal Cinema made its long-awaited return at the weekend.

Hundreds of people flocked to the Port Street venue on Saturday for its official opening following the completion of a three-year, £2 million restoration project.

First through the door was Regal volunteer John Griffith and his daughters Caitlin, six, and Lorna, 10.

The 48-year-old, of Burford Road, said: “I’ve been a volunteer for the Regal since they started the refurbishment and I’ve long awaited this. The community can never thank the people in charge of this for what they have done.

They’ve done a good service for the community and I can see only good things happening now for Evesham.”

Developer Lumiere Kenesis have breathed new life into the grade two-listed building, which has stood empty for almost 10 years.

Youngsters excitedly rushed into the revamped auditorium on Saturday to bounce around on spacehoppers and meet weird and wonderful creatures from Bags of Reptiles, before the sound of rustling popcorn wrappers signalled the start of the first film shown, Puss in Boots, as part of the relaunched Saturday Morning Chums Club.

Film fans later gathered for a screening of Hugo before comedian Alistair McGowan, who grew up near Evesham and has long supported the cinema, compered a night of short films from Bafta.

Rachel Birch, of Bengeworth, was an usherette at the cinema in the 1960s. The 58- year-old said she was delighted to see the cinema returned to its former glory.

She said: “I used to work at the Regal when I was 14. I’ve come back to have a look and it’s right how it used to be and I take my hat off to everybody who funded the project, got it up and rolling because I came when they were starting to do the refurbishment and you would never have come back.

“It’s absolutely amazing – I just hope people will use it.”

Regal spokesman Emma Heathcote-James said the revival of the cinema had put the heartbeat back into Evesham.

“It’s the most exciting day – it’s what we as all staff have been waiting for,” she said.

“We cannot thank people enough for the support.

“The support has just been absolutely overwhelming. A huge big thank you from everybody at the Regal.”

For further information, visit theregal.ac.