Transcript

When I moved to Brookford, I kept passing an empty building near the market. I was curious because older residents spoke about seeing films there, although the building had existed long before that. A local history group eventually explained that the site had served several purposes over time and that, before becoming a cinema in the 1930s, it had been a warehouse. A charity later bought the building and planned to reopen it for films and community events. At first, we imagined that specialist companies would do most of the restoration, but the budget was far too small. The early clearing and basic cleaning therefore depended almost completely on local volunteers. Once the rubbish had gone, we could see which original features had survived. Much of the downstairs area had been changed over the years, so we expected very little to remain. Engineers were pleased, however, to discover that one important feature was still structurally sound: the old balcony. The next question was how closely to copy the original decoration. Some residents remembered dark blue walls, but memories were not always reliable. We studied photographs from the cinema's early years, and these showed that several decorative panels near the entrance had originally been painted red. The front of the building needed replacing completely. A modern glass entrance would have cost less, but we wanted people walking along the street to recognise the building immediately as a cinema. New doors were created from old photographs, and the person responsible for that design was the project architect. Most specialist jobs happened during the week, including electrical work and heating. The community team came in at weekends to paint, clean and move furniture. The sessions became surprisingly social, with people bringing food, lending tools and sharing stories about what the building had meant to them. For almost a year, our regular work session was held every Saturday. Behind the stage, we discovered tracks once used for moving scenery. Restoring the complete old system was impossible, but we decided not to hide the tracks. Instead, they were left visible as part of the building's history, and new curtains were fitted directly in front of them. Some people living nearby were uncertain about the project. They were less worried about films than about practical issues such as evening noise, deliveries and parking. We organised regular meetings before reopening and changed several details after listening to the concerns raised by local neighbours. By the final stage, the building looked ready, but that was misleading. Fire exits had to be tested, projection equipment adjusted and staff trained for different situations. We delayed the public opening twice rather than hurry the process while the last safety and technical checks were being completed. When everything was finally ready, we first invited the people who had contributed time, money or advice. There were photographs of the restoration, short speeches and music from local students. The event was called our opening night. The next evening, paying customers returned for the first public film, and hearing the audience laugh made the years of work feel worthwhile.