Behind the scenes..

Summer is speeding by – and so much is happening ‘behind the scenes’ at the cinema.  We have got to that stage where from the outside it might look like very little is happening – but actually we are busy busy getting things in place.

Hadden’s are making brilliant progress inside the building; the amazing cooling labyrinth is in place – a whole series of pipes laid in concrete under the auditorium – accessing the well of ‘coolth’ under the building, so that on those fine summer days when we need the auditorium to be a little cooler – we draw cool air from deep below the floor.  Altogether, really cool.  But now that the pipes are buried in concrete – they will never be seen again!

The foundations for the internal walls and a solid floor screed – so we are beginning to see the shape of what is to come.  Very, very exciting. 

During August the roof will be replaced – and this requires scaffolding around the entire building, which unfortunately means that the Chapel St bus stop will need to be temporarily moved for the next ten to twelve weeks.  Our apologies for any inconvenience caused by this.

The other really exciting development has been the creation of The Birks Cinema Ltd.  This is now an incorporated company (SC428528) and we have a board of nine Directors; three from FoTBC and six new people. The new Trading Board members are:

Karen Banyard

Patti Walker-Booth

Ron Dekker

Mike Dukes

Charlotte Flower

Peter Guthrie

Daniel Maslen

Kevin Ramage

Douglas Swan

We have had our first full Board meeting, and what an amazing room full of local expertise, enthusiasm and experience. 

And elsewhere?  This is an exciting time for cinema in Scotland – The Thurso Cinema (http://thursocinema.co.uk)  reopened in July and Oban Phoenix Cinema (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oban-Phoenix-Cinema) is re-opening  in August.  Good luck to them both and Vive le cinema!

Other news:

The AGM of the Friends of The Birks Cinema takes place on 30^th August at Dewars Distillery from 730pm.

Recruitment of a General Manager of the Birks Cinema will begin in mid-August. Please see the Birks Cinema website for a link to the advert and further details, go to: www.birkscinemafriends.org.uk