Grand time at new cinema despite the price of food

Our columnist with his unique view of Ashford life

So much to comment on and so little space to do it in. But, undaunted, I’ll start with the vegans who are making inroads into the very fabric of John Bull’s roast beef-loving England. How very dare they? I fancy they’re the militant arm of the PC brigade. Well, they’re not going to stop Mrs B and me from tucking in to our Sunday roast and occasional weekday burgers, though the new cinema will never help us in that respect – at nearly forty quid for two burgers and a drink each. We didn’t notice the price of the ‘Gourmet Popcorn’ on offer, though I guess it would have left us penniless. But that being said, we had a grand afternoon there on Saturday. We had been given a Christmas present of a £25 voucher which we eventually discovered we could convert at the bar into tickets to see The Favourite. There seemed to be a vast army of eager staff on hand, all very friendly. The main lift from the ground up wasn’t working but from the restaurant floor to the actual cinema there is a lift designated to take a maximum of five people. It took exception to us and would only allow one of us at a time. A kindly usher apologised and told us it should soon be fixed. Later, it refused to budge when a gentleman of some weight tried on his own. But what would any enterprise be without the odd teething trouble or two? The sound in the cinema was over loud but that seems to be the norm these days. The film was extraordinary, although the language might well bring on an attack of the vapours in your maiden aunt.

‘There seemed to be a vast army of eager staff on hand, all very friendly’

Whilst shopping in M&S, I was stopped by a lady who told me of her recent visit to Deal. ‘They have every kind of useful shop there – butcher, fishmonger, greengrocers, etcetera, but why can’t we have them here?’ She flattered me by saying she read my weekly ramblings. I explained that I thought Mr Clarkson has his sights set on more grandiose ventures than such trivial things.