I’M READY FOR PRETTY WOMAN AND DRINKS WITH FRIENDS

Liz TooTAL, 44, is head of HR for a restaurant chain and lives in Colchester, Essex, with her husband and their three children, aged 17, 12 and eight. She says: WATCHING Pretty Woman with my girlfriends while drinking cocktails is among the things I’m most looking forward to doing now we can have people in our gardens again.

A few years ago, we all went to an outdoor screening of dirty dancing in a local park where we drank prosecco and sang our hearts out with the hundreds of other women there. I can’t wait to recreate that night at home.

I knew that our backyard cinema would be a blockbuster

hit when I created it last summer as a distraction from the pandemic.

I was inspired after seeing photos of outdoor cinemas on Instagram.

We bought a 90in roll-up screen for £30 and attached it to our garden fence.

The projector cost £180 and is powered by an extension lead from the house, along with the surroundsound speakers.

We’re mindful of our neighbours, so tend not to have movies on too loud or past 10.30pm.

I already had a corner sofa and firepit in the garden of our three- bedroom 1950s home, and moved everything around in order to create a cinema area.

For extra comfort I added an outdoor rug, cushions, blankets, chairs, and festoon lights strung overhead, to make a space that’s both pretty and functional.

The first movie we watched was Forrest Gump. ET was another hit with our kids, and my husband and I had a lovely date night with Breakfast At Tiffany’s and a glass or two of gin.

There’s something special about being snuggled up outside as night falls and the stars appear.

I can’t wait to share the experience with my friends this spring.