Where did you watch Star Wars?

Where did you watch Star Wars? The first time, not the 10th, 50th or 1000th.
Hardly a controversial subject, but a few years ago I got a part in a local pantomime with a local drama group. One of the few groups in the country, lucky enough to actually own their own theatre, the Palladium theatre in Millom.

Each September, the local community hold something called a heritage weekend, where local clubs, groups, churches, police etc hold open days, where their venues are opened up for the local residents to walk around, look at photo's, old outfits and learn about these places.

Being an enthusiastic new member of the drama group I had to look around the theatre, but was surprised when the only photo's on display were for there own shows. Not a problem that they should showcase their own achievements, but the place used to be a cinema as well & as a child I watched Star Wars from up in the balcony.

I was 6 or 7 at the time and the opening scene of the movie, to me, was mind blowing, I really did think that the spaceships flew in from above my head, I insisted my Mum took me again 2 days later & I was hooked on sci-fi from that day onwards.

But, as inspirational as that film was to me, it was insignificant to this theatre group, understandably of course because there was no rehearsals involved, no last minute nerves, just someone hooking up a reel to the projector and someone turning the lights out.

Some memories of those days are still fresh in my mind, to get to the balcony (stalls) we would queue at the end of the building and a ticket booth was just inside the doorway before we went up the staircase, if there was an interval, we'd go down the opposite stairs to the shop, in fact I think we left out that way as well.

But until the heritage weekend when I almost expected to see a display dedicated to film posters and movie memorabilia, I confess I had never given that special moment a second thought.

30 years had passed & I was now thinking, those are my memories of this place, not pantomimes or shows, just movies. This is where my love of movies was born and boy do I love movies.

More importantly, I love Star Wars and thankfully so do my kids, though I haven't a clue where they've put my DVD's.