Film

They asked Weston Coyney village hall to let them start a film society. The idea being that once a month they would show a film in the hall and people from the area would come to see it. They were known as the “Weston Coyney and Caverswall Film Society”. The village hall gave them funding for three films thinking that after this the society would simply fizzle out.

But it didn’t and, with Robert Johnson as the ring-leader, they started showing two films a month. All this was brilliant for the local people as they finally had their cinema back - but then there was a growing yet massive blow for the society. This blow was known as video. 

“Instead of going to your local hall to watch a film you would go and rent it from the local supermarket whilst buying your baked beans” Robert Johnson said.

Robert is now the owner of Reels on Wheels. He controls where they show films and he runs the company. He has a small team working with him and he told me it is driven by their love for films.

Rather than simply doing the one village hall a month they moved around the area to market towns who had lost their cinema - such as Leek and Cheadle. The name “Weston Coyney and Caverswall Film Society” was irrelevant now as they were all over the county so they decided on a new name… ‘Staffordshire Reels on Wheels’.

If there is a film festival going on and the local council want to show a film in the village halls then Reels on Wheels are the people to call. They pack the films and the projector into the back of a van and off they go.

In the Potteries Museum in Hanley there was a rarely used 300 seated lecture theatre. Someone had the idea that showing films, would bring people into the museum that normally wouldn’t come in. That’s how the Forum cinema came about.

Most of the films shown at the cinema are family films and they offer a family friendly environment with the low prices and low priced snacks. It’s also just in the centre of Hanley therefore a simple bus ride from your own home.

“One of my favourite moments was being stood at the back of the cinema whilst all the kids sung along to every song in ‘Snow White'” gushed Robert.

Far and wide

However, though Robert says they'd love to put on more shows at The Forum, they have so far been unable to get permission to do more than just show films during the school holidays. So, they're looking further afield!

As well as working with Asian film societies in Stoke on Trent, putting on Hindi and Punjabi movies, Reels on Wheels are now being invited to the big film festivals.

They don’t just show the latest children’s films (as in the Museum) and really do a wide range.

Robert told me about times such as a night in Derbyshire where they were requested to show 'The Blair Witch Project' in the middle of a wood. Towed by Land Rovers they took the projector, screens and generators deep into the woodland.

They also were requested to show 'Nosferatu The Vampire' in Southwell Minister, Nottingham. With a pianist and 200 Goths it is one of Robert's strongest memories.

They still show films in your local village halls and up to now have shown films to over 70,000 people. You can also go down to the Forum in Hanley where at the weekend two people can see a film for £5.

To check out what Reels on Wheels are up to, just log on to their website - www.reelsonwheels.org.uk.