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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