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—| Write to: The Editor, Clitheroe Advertiser and Times, 3 King Street, Clitheroe BB72EW Why I cast vote to


keep open cinema AS the "one man standing in the way"(of progress), may I reply to Geoff Sainsbury's no-holds-barred attack on the council's decision to


keep the Civic Hall Cinema open. I t was not, as he implies, a one-man


decision. Eight other councillors voted to keep the cinema open and as the vote was tied at nine-all I had to use the chair­ man's casting vote. I t would have been perverse if I had then voted in the oppo­


site direction. The debate went on for almost an hour


and was very comprehensive. Most com­ mittee members spoke and there were major contributions from two councillors not on the committee. Voting did not follow party lines. Two Liberal Democrats voted for closure, one Conservative and an Inde­ pendent voted for continuation. A disap­ pointment to me was that no member of the public came forward to speak when the debate was so well trailed in the Press. I welcome the discussion in your columns, but how much better it would be if someone with strong opinions like Mr Sainsbury came to give committee his views and then listened to the whole debate first hand. Who knows, he might have swayed our deci­ sion, or learned something, or both. Several key points led me to vote the way


closed. Under the general heading of recreation,


work and be an asset to the town. It is cer­ tainly worth the effort. If one needs a his­ tory lesson and some inspiration, look at the railway.


GRAHAM SOWTER, Chairman, Community Committee, RVBC.


White elephant is not


worth another £42,000 THANK you Geoff Sainsbury for your eloquent and informative letter


regarding the so-called Civic Hall. In the late 1960s I was told by two


elderly Clitheroe men th a t the Grand Cinema would not be closed easily because "certain people" had personal


between King Lane, a desirable building for dances, etc., and the "white elephant"


interests in the building. At the time, the choice of closure was


to be told how much debt has been incurred


Grand Cinema. It would be very interesting for the public


"white elephant" and spend £42,000 at least on a more worthy item. Otherwise, people will show their displeasure at the next elec­ tion.


over the years. Come on Coun. Sowter, close and sell the


E. PARKER, Fells View, Billington.


I did, not least that the deficit is well over­ stated. The figure of £42,000 includes a lot of overheads and notional charges. Only around half would be saved if the Civic was


the council supports both sports and arts and our "subsidy" for sport is many times that for the Civic Hall. Would it be fair to all our charge-payers to subsidise sports but not the arts? (What does Mr Sainsbury think? Would he close the swimming pool, which alone costs around four times as much as the cinema?) Clitheroe is short of venues in which to


I prefer Civic Hall


over modern cinemas AS a regular visitor and patron of the Civic Hall Cinema, I was sur­ prised to see on BBC NorthWest that the future of the cinema hangs in the balance. I was equally dis­ turbed to read the report in the Advertiser and Times and the letter


by Mr Geoff Sainsbury. I think it should be he who shows a


hold both arts and general civic events. The town compares unfavourably with Lon- gridge and many villages like West Brad­ ford that have bright, modern village halls. We have been collaborating with the Parish Hall Trustees on a Lottery bid to remedy this need based on the modernisation and upgrading of one or both buildings. Cine­ ma, probably in a smaller auditorium, was a part of our scheme. Our comprehensive plans have only recently been rejected and we always knew that if this happened we would need to tackle the problem of the Civic Hall with renewed urgency, which we


are doing. Ribble Valley is a rural area. People in


those in the ou tly in g villages might have a 40-mile round trip to visit a multiplex. The costs to individuals and to society of the explosion of car use in order that people can shop or exercise choice in a range of social and cultural activity is fast becoming apparent. The environmental and social costs of our unsustainable lifestyles do not yet appear in any balance sheet, but the Government is now repeatedly urging coun­ cils to take these factors into account. I accept that the Civic Hall needs to


Clitheroe have a 20-mile round trip and


rethink its strategy. Too many of the main cinema-going age group (17-24, say) at which most new films are aimed, now prefer to go to the multiplexes as soon as they have access to a car. This implies that we need to concentrate on other younger and older target groups, families and specialist niche audiences. We will need to consider market research as well as advertising the venue more widely. The building could probably do with a face-lift and facilities like the loos brought up to date. We will have to consider sharing the building with other compatible users and maybe reduce the size of the auditorium if it can be done without sacrificing its essential character. If we cannot come up with a reasonable


modicum of common sense. Instead, he is trying to impose his obvious dislike of the cinema on to others and is trying to fool the public th a t it is costing thou­ sands to keep the cinema going, when it is obvious to anyone that not a penny has been spent on try in g to improve the building since it was purchased from the previous owners. I t has been neglected to the extent that it would cost quite a bit to give it a facelift, both inside and out­


side. I visit the cinema almost every week


because I prefer it to the modern multi­ screen cinemas that have no atmosphere. It


is worth the 70-mile round trip to re-live tho se days when the cinema, was a cinema and not something that resembles a fast food joint. The Civic has a welcome feeling and Mr and Mrs Williamson make you feel that you are part of a family. The councillors of Ribble Valley should


Grand Cinema in neon lights. Also, get rid of those entrance doors and replace them with modern glass doors. Reduce the seat­ ing capacity to 300 and replace all the exist­ ing seats with more modern ones, with ample leg room, and decorate the auditori­


um.The councillors should remember the old adage that "If you want to accumulate, you must first speculate." On several occa­ sions I have taken friends with me and when they see the outside of the building they often remark: "What have you brought us here for? We could have gone to the ABC." On entering the auditorium they are amazed and often make comments such as: "Isn't this lovely" and "What a charming place - it has real character." I do not live in Clitheroe, but I love my


the money being wasted year after year to


entertain a minority. The response I have received has made


me more determined to exhort as much pressure as possible, even though the gener­ al opinion being that elected members dis­ regard that of the public, which is never more apparent than in this case, at least by Coun. Sowter's supporters. I trust they practise what they preach


carping of what we shouldn't have or shouldn't do, by someone who, by the law of newsprint volume averages, occasionally gets something right, but on this subject, is totally lacking a grasp at all. Mr Sainsbury is, of course, free to choose


What we don't need is the spoiling and


his opinions and recreations. Likewise, thank you councillors for giving us the


and go along each week to swell the audi­ ence and defray the losses. I never realised Goun. Jones was a film buff. Tell me, John Heap, please, just what can


choice. This week's showing of "Zorro" proved


the present management contribute towards improving attendances? I have great difficulty finding the smallest advert it is possible to purchase in this paper.


visits and especially to the cinema. If it was not there, I doubt if I would ever go to


Clitheroe.What I have outlined above is a true opinion and I can assure everyone that, if the council were to act on the advice I give, a considerable improvement would be seen after 18 months and, if on certain days of the week, the admission was £2.50, on a level with many of the multiplex cinemas, more people could afford to attend on those


concessionary days. In conclusion, I would applaud the


remarks by Coun. Graham Sowter and his colleagues in trying to retain the last remaining cinema from going the Sainsbury way that the Palladium went. If the public of Clitheroe can cast their minds back to when they had three thriving cinemas, they will remember that crime was not as rife as it is today. I rest my case.


B. WILSON, Kirkham Avenue, Blackpool.


BBC coverage of the


issue was biased IF ever a biased programme - not unusual - was transmitted by BBC North-West, it occurred last Friday


evening. I felt sorry for Coun. Redpath. How I


would have welcomed the opportunity to support his opposition to the "keep open" plan. Then along came Couns Sowter and Jones, plus the cinema manager, and a three-to-one contest. If there isn't time to present a fair and


streets, complete with sandwich boards, to publicise current and forthcoming films, as was common in my younger days. To conclude, on a personal note, my wife


Could this be to save money? How about the manager traversing the


and I first met on February 3rd, 1937, in the Grand Cinema. The film: "A Tale of Two Cities". So, the building has always had great sentimental value to us; however, sentimentality no longer applies in this day and age, and most certainly not when good money is being wasted by councillors to maintain entertainment no longer of inter­ est to the majority of local people. So Coun. Sowter and Co., please tell me


whyl Could it be self-gratification?


GEOFF SAINSBURY, Beverley Drive, Clitheroe.


We youngsters like


the Civic Hall cinema I THINK the man who says he wants to close the Civic Hall is


mean. I go there a lot with my friends, as it is


one of the only attractions for children in Clitheroe, apart from Roefield, the swim­ ming pool and tennis dome.


EDMUND ASHTON


(aged II), Eshton Terrace, Clitheroe.


Attractions should be


unbiased opinion, then the BBC should leave the matter alone. I rang the BBC after the programme and expressed my own views. Had they canvassed the opinions of the people on the streets, Coun. Redpath would have had plenty of support, and this has been the case for many years. I cannot understand Coun. Jones, proba­


bly the old e st se rving member, who is well aware of the losses incurred over the last 20 years, yet he persists on his misguided idea that the authorities have a duty to supply entertainment to the town and surrounding areas - certainly not a viewpoint supported


be proud of the fact that it is the only cine­ ma of its kind left in the North West and it is an essential amenity to the town. Take it away and you will find an increase in crime and yobboism because the young people will have nowhere to go. Not everyone has a car, like Mr Sainsbury, so are they to be deprived of a cinema because of the so- called deficit of £42,000 which he alleges it is costing the council? It is a mere drop in the ocean when one considers the money that is wasted on such things as public din­ ners and buffets provided at meetings or for distinguished visitors, in an effort to swell their own egos. It happens in very town. I should know, having often been one of those distinguished guestsl If the Civic Hall was made to look more


by attendances. Maybe - and it's a big maybe - come next


May, the voters in Langho and Henthorn will review their loyalties, loyalties which are costing the town dearly. But then again, apathy will probably prevail. We can only


hope. How easily the phrase "feasibility study"


rolls from the lips. Just who is going to carry out this study?


Not Coun. Sowter and the Rev. Atkinson, surely neither of them experts in this high­ ly- professional field but, if so, both will make sure their ideas are feasible. The alternative? An independent body, as


business plan, then we may have to accept th a t there is no future for cinema in Clitheroe, but I genuinely believe it could


attractive outside and if it were to revert to its former name of The Grand it might encourage more people to support it. At the moment it looks like some dilapidated church hall. The advertising boards need replacing with more modern ones. A canopy with coloured lights wouldn't come a miss - with a lick of paint and the name The


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in the case of the Castle grounds, etc. Remember the study which suggested the Bedouin tent bandstand? That cost a pret­ ty penny all to no avail, and also the one for the so-called modernisation of the market; that has proved a pig in a poke. These peo­ ple must look upon Clitheroe as providing


manna from heaven. I'm fully aware there are people probably


fed up with my letters, but I believe this is a very important local issue, chiefly due to


promoted more widely IT is a great pity that the amount of newspaper space regularly allocated to Geoff Sainsbury's overblown let­ ters is not put to far more' construc­ tive use to advertise the films and charms of the Civic Hall Cinema. While usually featured in this newspa­


per, very little promotion appears any­ where else. People from the wider East Lancashire and beyond are often sur­ prised to hear that there is a cinema in


a par with the new supermarket, which opens shortly, and which bears Mr Sains­ bury's name, it is just as much a prize to the town, and with fair and reasonable market­ ing, the Civic Hall can not only be the asset and gem it is, but also cost effective as well. I suggest the following three steps to "Sil­


Clitheroe. Although never likely to have takings on


ver Screen Heaven": - 1) Advertise widely and regularly; 2) Give a new manager a chance; 3) Put up a half-decent illuminated sign


in York Street. Instead of negative criticism, councillors,


including Graham Sowter, Bert Jones and Stephen and Margaret Sutcliffe, are to be congratulated for their greater vision on the value, both obvious and hidden, to the town


of the "Grand Cinema". Blackpool has the Tower, Rome the Coli­


seum, Milan La Scala, and Clitheroe has the cinema, the Castle, the library, great schools and shops and much, much more. In fact, it is a thoroughly good place to live.


JOHN AUSTER, Hillside Close, Clitheroe.


Stop this propaganda


threat to local jobs IN REPLY to Margaret Jean Entwistle's comments hoping for a miracle to happen in the Ribble Val­ ley, published in last week's Advertis­ er and Times, she points out that Castle Cement provides much- need­ ed employment in the borough. At the same time, she suggests th a t


tourists should be discouraged from vis­ iting, thus jeopardising the tourist indus­ try jobs provided, albeit at much lower rates of pay than industry can offer. The miracle I would like to see for the


millennium would be th a t Messrs Entwistle, Horner, Mortimer, England, Gill, etc., would "disappear in a puff of smoke" or at least s ta r t to talk sense instead of peddling the endless false propa­ ganda that threatens the jobs of people, many of whom have young families to pro­ vide for.


CASTLE EMPLOYEE Clitheroe.


Our village institute


should not be sold BEING a life-long member of the Great Mitton community, may I con­ cur with the letter and its writer, Beryl Taylor, and her views on the removal of the stone cross and its replacement by a wooden one on a


new base at Mitton Green. The parish council was the body order­


bad decision taken by the vicar, church war­ dens and church council of All Hallows, Great Mitton, to offer for sale the village


ing its removal, so I would assume that with its agreement, the wooden cross has been erected. What a bad decision! This leads me to comment on another


institute. Built by public subscription in the late


1890s, it was the village school and since the 1940s had become the village hall, serv­ ing the people of the village in many differ­ ent ways as a youth club, polling station, women's institute and council meeting house, amateur theatre and dance venue. Many events were money-raising efforts. I wish it to be publicly known of my


the sword is mightier than the pen - a great night out in Clitheroe.


thiopian


bridges help David to


career goal ETHIOPIAN bridges have helped a Dunsop Bridge man achieve his career ambition. Mr David Spencer (28),


of Higher Beatrix, has just qualified as a chartered civil engineer, which enti­ tles him to membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers. As part of his final


examinations, Mr Spencer (pictured above) under­ took a project to design bridges in the African country. He has also under­ taken similar work in Alba­ nia and the Middle East. A former pupil of St


Augustine's RC High School, Billington, and Blackburn College, Mr Spencer read civil engineer­ ing at Liverpool Universi­


ty.


chester-based consulting engineers Parkman, where he still works as a project engineer, leading a team which advises Calderdale Council's Highways Department.


He then joined Man­


Stock Market success for


CRGS pupils


A TEAM of Clitheroe Royal Grammar School pupils have traded through to the quarter-finals of a national mock-up shares competition. Ten Stock Market


"whizz kids" from the school are one team out of 101 schools left in the mar­ ket from an original field of 1,600, when the ProShare National Investment Pro­ gramme, sponsored by London Stock exchange, Flemings, Save and Pros­ per and Barclays Stockbro­ kers, began last September. Each team had to create


great concern with their decision to sell this valuable village asset and that in so doing they are betraying a trust placed in their hands by all the Mitton people.


RICHARD SIMPSON Preston Road Grimsargh


© Wc understand that there is a other side to the village institute issue and we hope to pre­ sent this next week. - Editor


© The Editor welcomes letters on any sub­ ject, but correspondents are reminded that contributions may be edited or condensed.


© Letters with noms de plume will be accepted for publication, providing a name, address and telephone number are included.


TELETEXT TV Free Prize Draw


WIN A 14 " (no purchase necessary)


imaginary share portfolios worth £50,000 consisting of direct equities, invest­ ment trusts and unit trusts. Now they must pro­ duce an investment report detailing their investment strategies and compete in a trading round. Trading is due to take place tomorrow only and is expected to be frantic. The top 25 teams from


the quarter finals will go through to the regional semi-finals in March. The national final will be held in London in April between the top five teams. Prizes for the finalists


include multimedia com­ puter systems as well as individual cash prizes.


Bank of England man’s talk to local business people


AN enlightening semi­ nar was presented by Bank of England Agent for the North- West Mr Tony Stra- chan to members of the Ribble Valley busi­ ness community at Langho's Mytton Fold


received speech on matters such as interest rates and the euro. More than 40 representatives of East Lancashire businesses attended the event, with 10 from the Ribble Valley, including those from Rectella International, Forbes and Partners, the Alcare Group, Ribble Val­ ley Care Scheme and the Ribble Valley Enterprise Agency. Following his speech, guests pitched questions at


Farm Hotel. He delivered a well-


Mr Strachan. The event was organised by the Pen- dle Enterprise Trust, and operations manager Miss Samantha Smallridge said she had received very posi­ tive feedback from the guests attending the semi­ nar. She added: "I had one


notable comment from one businessman, who was real­ ly glad that he had come along. He had seen lots of things in the media, which he did not understand. But Mr Strachan had managed to explain these matters in plain English and, as a result, the businessman had found it extremely enlightening. “That sentiment was


echoed by many other peo­ ple, who had appreciated the simple terms in which Mr Strachan had explained the issues."


Escape door approved


PLANS to fit a new fire escape door at Clitheroe Social Club have been given the green light despite local busi­ ness owners' concerns that their yards will be used as bot­ tle dumps and makeshift toilets. Two letters of objections to the plans were received by


Ribble Valley Borough Council planning officers from business owners, who said the use of the access as a sec­ ond exit door for club customers at closing time led to their yards being littered with broken glass, bottles and


urine. Planning permission was granted providing the new


doorway's use was restricted for purely escape purposes and not as a secondary access to the premises.


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