After decades of waiting, people living in Abingdon got the chance to go to the cinema again, with The Abbey Cinema opening at the Guildhall at the end of 2018.

Films are now being screened at the venue following the end of the latest lockdown restrictions.

Back in 2018, there were celebrations as cinema returned to the town after decades.

Sue and Ian Wiper, from the independent Regal Cinema in Evesham, struck a deal with the town council to run the Abbey Cinema at the Guildhall.

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At first the Unicorn Cinema was used to show films but then the Guildhall became the main venue.

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Now the cinema is situated alongside the council's historic Guildhall council rooms.

Mrs Wiper said at the time: "We are absolutely delighted at last to be opening at the Abbey Hall and we have a fantastic slate of films coming up."

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Taking pride of place in the revamped space was a state-of-the-art ten-metre projection screen, which was installed last week, along with acoustic wall coverings and Dolby 7.1 surround sound.

A tiered seating area, designed to give perfect views from classic cinema seating, was also installed.

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There was also a brand new professional kitchen and a renovated bar to allow customers to enjoy meals and drinks while watching a film.

The opening meant the Abbey Hall, which has been closed since August 2015, was finally back in public use.

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Dreams of opening a cinema in the Guildhall extension seemed doomed after a major revamp was rejected by the town council in January 2017, when it was decided the scheme was financially unviable.

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The £3.5m project was first proposed in 2013, with a 200-seat cinema set to form the anchor of a redevelopment of the hall, which would have also created a new cafe-bar.