Film fans in Westbury were ‘blown away’ by the successful launch of the town’s community cinema on 31st January. The Laverton’s main hall was packed for a screening of Twisters (2024), starring Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. A popcorn machine was wheeled out for the occasion as Westbury locals were transported to windy Oklahoma for the night.
Patrick McGowan, Westbury Town Council’s buildings and facilities manager, hopes the new cinema will save residents from having to travel to Trowbridge, Bath, or Frome to enjoy the big-screen experience.
“We hope to do at least one screening a month,” Patrick said. “During half-term, we’ll have Despicable Me 4 and Top Gun: Maverick. Going forward, we hope to show Gladiator 2 and the latest Paddington movie. We had great feedback for Twisters, and people seemed to really enjoy themselves. I also kept an eye on the car park, and it looked like the vast majority of people walked rather than drove.”
There were 74 tickets sold for Twisters, and the new Westbury Community Cinema at the Laverton has a capacity of around 99, including wheelchair spaces. Among those in attendance was Town Mayor Jane Russ, who praised the project.
“I was absolutely thrilled to be at the first community cinema screening with a lot of Westbury residents who, I know from the discussions I’ve had and emails I’ve received since, really enjoyed themselves,” she said. “The town council has been wanting to do this for a while, and we ended up with a wonderful Laverton manager who saw the potential and made it happen. This cinema in Westbury is a brilliant example of community working for community. The new sound system in the main hall was also outstanding and should be mentioned.”
It is hoped the Laverton screenings will fill the void left by the old Vista Cinema, which operated in Westbury from November 1920. The building on Warminster Road later became a bingo hall but was badly damaged by fire in 1988 and ultimately demolished in 1994. It was a photograph of the former venue that first inspired Patrick to pursue the idea of a community cinema.
“My wife had seen a picture of the old Vista Cinema online and showed it to me,” he said. “I’d been thinking about what else we could use the Laverton for and thought, ‘Well, we don’t have a cinema—that’s a gap in the market.’ We’re really excited for more screenings. The films will depend on what people in Westbury want—we want to serve the community.”
The next community cinema screening will be the children’s comedy Despicable Me 4 on Thursday, 20th February, at 2pm. On Friday, 21st February, there will be a screening of action film Top Gun: Maverick at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5.
For more information, visit https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westburycommunitycinema or call 01373 822 126.
