More than 40 cinema enthusiasts listened eagerly to Mike Beal, chairman of Selsey Town Council, speak about the possibility of bringing back the cinema in High Street.

The cost of the cinema alone would be just under £500,000 but the sum could almost double if more ideas, such as a heritage centre and theatre stage for the cinema site, go ahead.

Hugh Graham (72), of Woodland Road, Selsey, said: "We want to make sure enough people want to get involved to make it work.

"It's very exciting. You take a step back in time when you see it. It has a tree through the roof at the moment.

"My wife is involved with it, and she has been instrumental in raising money for it.

"I used to come down here to see Roy Rogers films – they were black and white then."

A committee of ten people has been set up to investigate how money can be raised to pay for the cinema. The group met for the first time last week.

The cinema building is called 'town hall' because it was Selsey's original town hall when it was built in 1913. During the same year Chichester magistrates granted it a cinematographic licence. It operated as a cinema through both world wars.

During the 1950s Jack Tupper ran the cinema, organising three different films each week throughout the summer to entertain holidaymakers.

Attendances gradually fell until time was finally called on Saturday, September 19, 1974, when the curtain fell on the final film, Walt Disney's Summer Magic.

The cinema has been used as a warehouse since but now the magic of the cinema can be brought back to life.

"We'll be getting help from the New Park Centre cinema," said Mr Graham.

"The cinema will be modelled on it. New Park is always full and they run some lovely French films there."

Selsey councillor Roland O'Brien said: "I used to go there as a kid and watched Tora! Tora! Tora! about Japanese bombers at Pearl Harbour, which used to run every year.

"I was only a little boy and the cinema had plush red velvet seats with a theatre stage and a screen. It had a romantic feel to it.

"It's an exceptional building and restoring it is worth
looking into."



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