The Palace Cinema on Queen Street had been closed for nearly ten years when I moved to the town. The building was still beautiful from the outside — tall windows, decorative stonework, and a sign above the entrance that you could just about read if you looked carefully. But the doors were locked, the windows were dark, and most people walked past without even glancing at it.
I later found out from an older neighbour that the Palace had been one of the most popular places in town during the 1970s and 1980s. Families would go there every weekend, and there was always a queue on Saturday evenings. But when a large modern cinema opened on the edge of town in the mid-1990s, audiences quickly disappeared. The Palace simply couldn't compete with twelve screens, comfortable seating, and a car park.
Then, about two years ago, a group of local people formed a campaign to save the building. They argued that the town centre needed a cultural space, not another empty building. They organised fundraising events, applied for grants, and persuaded the local council to contribute. It took over a year, but eventually they raised enough money to begin the restoration.
I attended the reopening night last spring. Walking through the doors felt like stepping back in time. The original ceiling with its painted stars had been carefully restored, and the red velvet seats had been replaced with ones that looked almost identical. The first film they showed was a classic from the 1960s, and the audience clapped when the lights went down.
The Palace now shows a mix of new releases and older films, and also hosts live music and theatre performances. It will probably never compete with the big cinema for blockbuster audiences. But for people who care about this town and its history, it has become something much more valuable than just a place to watch a film.