‘We Need Bums On Seats’ A heartfelt message to our town and community. The best way anyone can help us right now is quite simple...we need bums on seats! Please consider coming along to keep us open. All is not lost. We will strive to survive! ~The Alhambra Team
A note from the Editor On the afternoon of the 15th January 2011, the people of Penrith were joined by people from around Eden. Generations of families and friends marched with banners. It wasn’t the first time people had made themselves heard in Penrith and it certainly wasn’t going to be the last, and there will be a time when it will happen again in our future after COVID 19.
We are sorry to be relaying this message during these very hard times, but we are sitting in our last chance saloon. We began this year positively, looking forward to the Alhambra’s 110th Anniversary, further developing our relationship with Penrith’s local community and local businesses, as well as eagerly anticipating the release of a stunning programme of films.
Children there that day, too young to know why they were, know now and appreciate how lucky they are to have been growing up with the Alhambra. Those in their late teens then, 9 years ago may have their own family now and their go the cinema.
However, as we all went into lockdown and everyone felt the impact of Covid-19, the cinema industry was also hit with devastating effect.
The Alhambra is open for business regardless of if 10 go to watch a film or 40 go to watch a film, the cost to the cinema is the same. In my experience of running Eden FM, the cinema, like the radio has licensing costs and these aren’t affected by COVID-19. They just keep rising, whilst around the country independent cinemas and radio stations just keep paying.
Upon re-opening, we have implemented a wide range of measures to protect our beloved customers, continuously developing our practices and pushing to make the experience comfortable and safe for all. We have also endeavoured to build a film programme which included a range of Classics, Independents and the few Blockbusters that have been released.
If you’re one of those people waiting for the 12th November for Die another Day with James Bond, your support is needed now. To rephrase a quote “Dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell your friends and families that this pandemic may take lives, but it will never take our Alhambra!!!”
Our staff remain passionate, motivated, and hopeful, and it’s been so lovely to welcome back customers to the place that we believe is extremely important to our local community. Sadly though, we are no longer a viable business with months of single figure admissions and empty screenings and are very much facing the end of the Alhambra. We felt it was our duty to inform everyone that, in our current state, the Cinema faces closure by the end of the year. It is also our duty to continue to rally for support from the local community. 18