AFTER months of renovation Frome’s much-loved Westway Cinema will open this month – hopefully in time for the school half-term.
The decades-old independent cinema has been given a new lease of life by new owners Pat and Beryl Scott, who have spent the last four months extensively refurbishing the building.
Cinema manager Casey Ryder said, “Everything is going to plan and the cinema is looking great. There’s huge anticipation surrounding the opening, so we’re all working really hard to make sure everything runs smoothly for our opening. There’s a real buzz around the town; the cinema is a big part of the community and we’re delighted to be able to bring it back to life for the town.”
Owner Pat Scott added, “No expense has been spared with the renovation. We have installed high quality 6.1 Dolby surround sound systems which are used in other cinemas and full HD projectors for all three screens.
“There’s also air conditioning throughout. You won’t need to travel out of Frome to find the best cinema experience, your local cinema has it all!”
The company already operates a highly acclaimed independent cinema, The Ritz, in Burnham on Sea, and they are keen to maintain the Westway’s traditional, independent feel.
Pat continued, “At the Westway you’ll be able to come and buy your ticket, be shown to your seat, and we’ll bring out an ice cream tray. It’s a traditional way of doing things but people like it.
“We hope we can give a friendly service that people are happy with and that they’ll keep coming back.”
Westway Cinema closed down in March last year after the business went into liquidation. It had been run by local woman Martina O’Connor and her partner Mark Lifely for the previous five years, after they took over from her parents Dennis and Dolores, who had run it for the more than 20 years.
Over 2,000 people signed a petition to try and make sure it reopened as a cinema. Six months later, it was announced that the cinema would reopen.
No date is confirmed yet for the opening, but keep a look out on the website for details. Visit www.westwaycinema. co.uk or www.sandbcinemas. co.uk
