Scala troubles and Whispering in the night

Read this in the Daily Post today
Town given two months to prove cinema can work
Sep 20 2006
By Roland Hughes, Daily Post

A COMMUNITY was yesterday told it has two months to prove a major cinema project can work - or risk losing it forever.A report which went before Denbighshire county council yesterday recommended the multi-million pound Scala plan for Prestatyn should be scrapped.But campaigners handed over a 5,000-name petition, collected in just one week, opposing the recommendation.They have now been given until November to prove their case to the council, a decision welcomed in Prestatyn last night.One campaigner said the decision would give objectors the impetus to keep on fighting for the Scala.The cinema on the town's High Street closed in December 2000 after the building was found to be unsafe.Plans were submitted in 2002 for a new cinema and arts centre on the same site, and finally approved by Denbigh-shire.But Denbighshire has since sought funding for the project, with £1.5m coming from an Assembly grant.However, a task group set up earlier this year concluded Denbighshire should drop the Scala project for funds to be used elsewhere.The report was considered behind closed doors yesterday, with councillors voting unanimously to give Prestatyn Town Council and residents until November to prove the project can work.Councillors also agreed the Ruthin Craft Centre redevelopment should go ahead as planned as long as it remained within budget.Objectors were made aware of the proposals to scrap the cinema after yesterday's report was leaked to the press earlier in the month.The 5,000-name petition was handed to Denbighshire chief executive Ian Miller just before yesterday's meeting.Sandra Pitt, chairman of Friends of the Scala, said: "People were queuing right down the pavement in Prestatyn to sign our petition."It gives us time to work on the campaign. We have a battle to fight and now we have a few months to fight it."We have got to up our campaign and keep at them to provide Prestatyn with a cinema. It's what the people of Prestatyn want."The meeting was overshadowed by claims by the task group's chairman, Councillor Paul Marfleet, that he was dismissed for recommending the Scala should be scrapped.Councillor Marfleet's claims of a potential funding "black hole" for the county were also dismissed by chief executive Ian Miller yesterday.I have a feeling money will not be made available for this projext which is a shame. The plans for the "new" Scala, make it more a conference and community centre rather than Just a small town cinema, so I do hope the Scala is reborn. As a teenager it provided me with many nights of escapism, (I first saw Towering Inferno there in 1975!), and I would love to see an arthouse/mainstream mix up of a local cinema.

Went to the beach for a long dog run (couldn't take a picture of them all as they were all running around like mad alecs),as I was comming back home over Gwaenysgor hill, saw "sad lady from Bishop's wood ( see previous blog), she had a Labrador with her and looked so much happier!, then did gardening jobs, hung the supports for the clematis by the back door and finally sorted out my wireless connection for the computer. Chris is still in Norway, so off to the pics now with Carol from Nextdoor to see The Night Whisperer!

Just back from seening the Night Whisperer,and was intrigued to find that it was based loosely on an experience of writer Armistead Maupin, who whilst splitting up with his boyfriend struck up a telephone friendship with a 14 year old fan, and precocious writer. It transpired that this boy potentially never realy existed and that his mother, who had suffered years of abuse was in fact impersonating him for deep psychological needs. Toni Collette was excellent as the boy's mother, and surprise surprise Bobby Cannavale turned up as Robin Williams' (Maupin) boyfriend ( doesnt he play alot of gay characters?) (The Station agent (well sort of), Will and Grace, Shall we dance? )