Film fans welcome return of city's oldest cinema

Liverpool's oldest surviving cinema has temporarily opened its doors for the first time in five years.

Woolton Picture House, which first opened in 1927, closed in 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Following a campaign to see it reopen, it is hosting 12 days of Christmas films before it will close once again to undergo a major refurbishment in the new year.

Keren Leivesley, who was one of the first people to attend, said the venue had "a warmth to it" that others did not have, adding: "It's our cinema and we'd like it back."

Along with her husband David, they were among 200 people to watch the classic White Christmas at the single-screen cinema, which included ice creams during an intermission.

Mrs Leivesley said the screening sparked "all the memories of when we were children and then when we brought our own children and our grandchildren as well".

Kevin Fearon, who runs Liverpool's Royal Court theatre with his wife Gillian Miller, is trying to raise £700,000 the buy the venue and secure its future. They have raised £150,000 to date.

"I think this should be funded by people who want this cinema to be open, so we shouldn't be taking out of the public purse," Mr Fearon said.

The cinema reopened on Friday and will show films each day until Christmas Eve.

Another film fan who attended was Celia Bickerton, who visited the venue as a child. She said she was "absolutely thrilled" to be back.

"The best bit is it still looks iconic from the outside... it's still here in the most lovely village in Liverpool," she said.

Trish Edmondson, who also went along, said she had "wonderful memories".

"We love the nostalgia and we love when the interval comes as well, and you can have an ice cream. It's beautiful, it's lovely."

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