Cinema lights the way for town

The Coliseum is true to its Art Deco origins

Brecon will issue the strongest signal yet that it is bouncing back from the foot-and-mouth crisis with the symbolic illumination of the town's famous cinema.

The façade of the Art Deco Coliseum Cinema has undergone restoration work and will be lit up by new neon lighting to welcome visitors back to the town.

The restoration project has been made possible by investment initiatives aimed at rejuvenating rural economies that have suffered because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The neon sign has a symbolic value

The Brecon Beacons National Park authority invested in the restoration of the exterior and its neon lighting through its Historic Towns Initiative.

"The grants are intended, through encouraging aesthetic improvement, to generate economic growth," said the Park authority's Nicola Grieve.

"The Coliseum is a rare example of a local and privately-owned cinema, and is of considerable architectural merit," she explained.

The interior was funded by a grant from the Wales Tourist Board, which is offering recovery assistance to companies in areas particularly badly hit by foot-and-mouth.

Powys has suffered acutely since the crisis began in February.

Peter does the electrics, plumbing and whatever else there is to do

Irene Davies

"It was a bad year for everybody. There have not been a lot of people smiling about town," said Irene Davies, who owns the cinema with her husband, Peter.

"We think this is a new beginning, lighting bright lights in the town, and putting a smile back on peoples faces. People need it."

Peter and Irene met and fell in love in the Coliseum while Peter was the projectionist and Irene was working as an usherette.

They married and together ran the cinema for its owners, before buying the property and taking over the business themselves eight years ago.

Constant upkeep

Since then the couple have dedicated themselves to maintaining and repairing the building, in addition to their duties running the business.

This means the couple are frequently to be found hammer and saw in hand, as the old building housing the two screens requires constant upkeep.

"What haven't we done? The two of us insulated the roofs, took out and installed new seats, re-stepped upstairs, laid new carpets, redecorated the inside. Peter does the electrics, plumbing and whatever else there is to do."

Irene and Peter have been particularly busy in recent weeks, working with builders to restore the exterior of the building, while also refurbishing the interior.

Peter has been the cinema's projectionist for 22 years.

"I can't believe I'm doing the job that I love most and am being paid to do it," he added.