Welcome to Telford's newest cinema

Blockbuster movies will be shown on the big screen in Oakengates when the town gets a new independent cinema.

The Oakengates Picture House will be located above the Old Fighting Cocks in Market Street, Oakengates.

Pub bosses say the cinema will have a 32-seat capacity, a five-metre screen, full Dolby surround sound and breaks during the film so customers can hit the bar downstairs.

The cinema will open on January 15 with a showing of international blockbuster Inception, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio.

Cinema owner David Goldingay said the picture house would hopefully remind people that pubs are still a great place to come out and socialise.

He said: "What we are trying to do is create a great atmosphere for people to enjoy film and pub life, we don't want people to forget that pubs exist."

He added: "We decided to totally renovate the floor to accommodate the seating and screen, this is a serious venture we have embarked upon, not just a gimmick.

"We're going to be showing films on Saturday nights initially and expect to extend that to Fridays pretty soon. On Wednesdays the Telford Film Society will be showing more art house type films as well as classic favourites."

The cinema will also be available for private functions, meetings or business conferences. Visit www.oakengatespicturehouse.com

By Peter Finch