CINEMA is returning to Buckfastleigh for the first time in decades.

On December 17, the town hall will be converted into a large screen, high definition cinema showing a matinee and evening performance.

The first film will be How the Grinch Stole Christmas, followed by an evening screening of The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The large, 14ft-wide screen, will give the experience of being in a real cinema and the town hall’s modern PA system and lighting rig will add to the impact.

Organisers will create an atmospheric cocktail bar serving cocktails, wine, beer and soft drinks and ice cream, popcorn and nibbles.

Cllr Simon Rines, who initiated the new venture, said the idea is to bring cinema back to the town.

He said: ‘We had a community engagement meeting a couple of months back and when we asked people what they wanted to see in town, the biggest response was a film club.

‘We felt we had the facilities and know-how, so why not just do it?

‘The town hasn’t had a cinema since the old Pickles family-run picture house closed down decades ago.

‘As a community, we really lack entertainment facilities for people of all ages. We hope this will help to bridge that gap and also act as a way to bring the community together to socialise.’

Cllr Rines says the plan is to run monthly screenings and to keep costs down.

‘We’re already looking at another date in early January and hope to confirm this soon,’ he added.

‘We also want the community to have a big say in which films will be screened, so we’ll be setting up a registration system of some sort.

‘We’ll also just talk to people to get an idea of what type of films they want to watch. Hopefully this will grow so that we can have special themed events.’

The cost for adults is £4 for the matinee and £6 for the feature with under-16s charged £2 for either film.

‘We’re aware Christmas is an expensive time for many people,’ Cllr Rines added. ‘So we want to keep the costs as low as possible.

‘We need to recoup some of the costs of setting this up, particularly the screen and projector, but if we get a good crowd for the first couple of screenings, we’ll hopefully be able to reduce the ticket price even more. We also intend to keep prices on the bar competitive.’

Tickets are available from the town hall, Buckfast and Buckfastleigh post offices, ReFurnish, The Seed and Huccaby’s as well as on the door and online at tinyurl.com/ jzaowc8.