Tag Archives: pingwood

Small Cinema on the Small Screen

Today, as we made final preparations for “A Small Cinema in Kirkby”, we had an impromptu visit from Paul Crone and the Granada Reports team.  Sam spoke to them about the programme of films we’re going to be showing Saturday and Sunday including matinee screenings of classic cartoons for children (at 11, 12 and 1pm) followed by rarely seen archive footage of Kirkby (on loan from the North West Film Archive) and a brand new independent short film commission “Fighting Chance” (on both afternoons at 2pm and 3.30).

It was down to John then to describe the background to the project – transforming an empty shop space into a cinema, the power of cinema in people’s memories, the discussions we’ve been having with local traders, and the role of Knowsley Arts and Heritage in making all it possible.

They filmed the inside our beautiful cinema and we gave them a special advance preview of “Fighting Chance” – a brand new independent short film by Tim Brunsden, specially commissioned for “A Small Cinema in Kirkby.”  The film, which has it’s premiere tomorrow at 2pm, tells the story of local dancer-turned-boxer Kayleigh Hayes whose progress in the sport of Women’s Amateur Boxing during the past two years has been meteoric.  It was a great experience for Kayleigh today – to have a taste of the media spotlight!

It’s a knock-out! – boxer Kayleigh Hayes and Paul Crone from Granada reports after their interview.

And finally…

The reporters also spoke with Billy and Cliff from Pingwood Art Group whose exhibition “Memories of Cinema” opens tomorrow at “A Small Cinema in Kirkby” too.

We’re very excited now – the report goes out this evening at 6pm on Granada News but don’t believe the hype – come down tomorrow and Sunday and experience it for yourself!

***Update: click to watch the Granada Reports broadcast***

“A Small Cinema in Kirkby” – Old Maze Shop, Unit 24 St. Chad’s Parade, Kirkby Shopping Centre.

Pingwood Art Group – Cinema Memories

Today we finally got to spend some time transforming memories of cinema into silkscreen printed posters with the Pingwood Art Group who are based at the Towerhill Community Centre, Ebony Way, Kirkby – here are just a few of the memories we collected:

“Getting into the Scala Cinema for a chicken in 1960” – Billy

“I made my husband queue outside the cinema to watch ELVIS on his 18th birthday” – Marie

“Flash Gordon was my favourite – I used to pretend to be Ming the Merciless with my mother’s fur collar coat” – Tess

“Around 1952 we saw The Crimson Pirate” with Burt Lancaster, in Technicolor, in a marquee in Speke.” – Fred

“We were thrown out of 2001 a Space Odyssey” – Maureen

“I saw Enter the Dragon at the ABC Picturehouse in Liverpool.  When we came out people were practicing Kung-Fu in the middle of the road.” – Colin

“We went to see Calamity Jane in Liverpool and me Nana accidently left me behind.  I was 5.” – Jimmy

“I went to see Sound of Music 12 times! I used to drag my friend Joan along.” – Bridie