BOWNESS’ Royalty cinema has reopened after being closed for seven months due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The 93-year-old cinema opened with a fortnight’s season of cinema classics, with a different film every night.

“I’m sure people will be aware that a lot of new films, like the new James Bond No Time to Die have been put back and back, but enough is enough and we are going to open again,” said the Royalty’s proprietor Charles Morris.

“We have an attractive line-up of recent classics, which I’m sure many people won’t have seen and others will want to see again.

“There’s nothing like seeing a film on the big screen, which is what they were intended for.”

The season began on October 20 at 7.45pm with Breakfast At Tiffany’s, the 1961 classic with Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard.

With Halloween in mind, the Saturday matinee is Hocus Pocus, with Bette Midler, followed by Knives Out, a whodunnit with Daniel Craig and a host of other stars, and finally The Shining, the classic Stanley Kubrick film with Jack Nicholson.

November 1 continues with Trolls World Tour, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Later in the season the National Theatre’s acclaimed production of The War Horse will be shown.

“We have our large, unspoilt auditorium with 400 seats in the stalls and balcony,” said Mr. Morris.

“Which means we can accommodate quite a lot of people and still maintain the necessary social distancing.We are taking all the precautions we can to prevent the spread of the disease.”

Charles Morris took the tenancy of the cinema in June 1992 and since then has added additional screens in unused parts of the building.