London’ s Most Loved Cinema
Peckhamplex, in London
SE15, is London’ s only independent multiplex. It’ s also London’ s most inexpensive cinema( all tickets all day £ 4.99) and this year it won Time Out’ s‘ Most Loved London Cinema’. Built on the site of a former Sainsbury’ s 23 years ago, Simone Brown has been the manager since the cinema opened and remembers the week before it opened.
“ There were no seats in the auditoriums, no carpet, just a few tiles on the foyer floor and not a sales till or popcorn warmer in sight. I stood with the rest of the management team wondering what we had let ourselves in for.
The last of 1500 seats went in three hours before the doors opened. The cinema opened in a blaze of publicity. The gala opening night was attended by the Mayor of Southwark, local councillors, community workers, local business people and a few celebrity guests. The ribbon was cut by singer CJ Lewis, who was then topping the charts with Sweets for My Sweet, and after a champagne reception everyone enjoyed a screening of Keanu Reeves’ new film Speed.
Above & Below Left: Time Out’ s‘ Most Loved London Cinema’.
The next morning we opened to the public … Peckham’ s brand new – and only – cinema.
However, all the publicity may have been in vain as one of our first customers came in with her trolley asking where the bread counter had moved to!”
Peckhamplex, with its six screens, screens the latest hot films as well as some classics and foreign films. It runs regular competitions and film events, with starts from Olivia Colman and Danny Dyer to Ken
Loach and Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi coming to present their films. It has regular screenings for people who are hard of hearing or the autistic and its Parent and Baby Club is a social legend.
If you’ d like to receive Peckhamplex’ s weekly newsletter, see: www. peckhamplex. london / newsletter / subscribe Peckhamplex 95A Rye Lane Peckham, London SE15 4ST
Disability Charity Makes a Racket for Accessibility at Wimbledon
Ateam of volunteers from
Queen Elizabeth’ s Foundation for Disabled People( QEF) recently gathered views on accessibility issues from visitors to The Championships, Wimbledon to help to ensure that it serves up a friendly experience for wheelchair users and other people with disabilities.
Busy sports events can be tricky to negotiate for people with disabilities, but disability charity QEF has formed a strong partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis Club to advise where there may be challenges for visitors. The accessibility experts from QEF have carried out hawk-eyed surveys and brought along clients of its services who are wheelchair users. They checked out how measures aimed at improving the
Volunteers from QEF at Wimbledon.
experience for disabled people work in practice during the busy Championship Fortnight.
Based on QEF’ s recommendations, the AELTC has implemented several major changes this year including improved routes for wheelchair users, maps and guides that display these routes, improvements to seating and viewing areas, and crucially, a new‘ Changing Places’ toilet facility.
For further information on this study E-mail: pr @ qef. org. uk
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