SNEAK PEEK OF AYR’S NEW ASTORIA
Cinema chiefs preparing to re-open Ayr’s former Odeon have given a sneak peak of their new facility.
Bosses at Merlin, who will pull back the curtain on The Astoria on Friday, March 29, have unveiled a 32-foot Panavision screen which they took delivery of last week.
Screens will start showing flicks for the first time in almost a year later this month after the Penzance-based firm saved the cinema from the scrapheap.
Posting on social media, The Astoria said:“Brand new 32 foot Panavision screen just installed. Phew...it’s been stuck in customs for about a week. We were getting worried as we’d thrown the smaller old screen in the skip!”
We told earlier this month how Merlin bosses had pledged to revive the iconic cinema for the benefit of the town.
Chris Wilkes, property and development manager at Merlin, told the Post:“This is a wonderful building — there is no getting away from that. When we found out that Odeon were disposing of it, we simply jumped at the chance.
“Our owner is committed to traditional, vintage cinema beautiful buildings that need preserved and looked after for the community. It was a case of ‘oh my gosh let’s get in the car’. We pretty much followed the estate agent up the road as they came here to measure up.
“We understand the importance of this facility to the town and we want to do that justice. First and foremost we want to get this place up and running again and let’s see what the feedback is from the people of the town.”
Tickets are now on sale ahead of the cinema’s re-opening on Friday and can be purchased at https://www. merlincinemas.co.uk/