Busy as a Bee

I really have got a bee in my bonnet over the closure of our local cinema in favour of a Weatherspoons pub. I've been making a VERY loud noise. I was on the local radio last night, and am going to be on the local TV tonight.

The reason? Penrith is a lovely small town, and one of its appealing features is that there is not all the places you find in every other town. We do not have a starbucks, or a Costa (Well we do, but its a spanish restaurant)or a Bella Italia or a Weatherspoons. We have small, independent eateries and all the pubs are run by locals for locals. That makes it nice. It makes it unique. It makes it Penrith.

Getting rid of our only cinema for 20 miles means our kids lose the first taste of independence - being allowed to go to the pictures on my own was the first thing I was allowed to do, and fully planned it for my kids. I know they would be safe there, I can get to them quickly if I need to and the staff all know and watch out for the kids taking the first steps if freedom.

Getting rid of the cinema means that another local independent business is gone; ironically, it is one of the few independent cinemas to run at a profit.

Putting a Pub Co business in Penrith will sound the death knell for a lot of the competition in the area, as they aggressively undercut others. It makes our streets untidy; I have walked round towns with these pubs and the mess is astonishing - beer glasses and broken bottles, as well as empty cigarette packets and the cigarette ends that are thrown on the ground.

This is NOT the way our town is; or the way we, as Penrith residents want it to be. We are taking a stand.

Please, if you agree, sign the petition to save our cinema!!
Click Here to Sign

Oh, this is child #2 and I being interviewed for this evenings local news after demonstrating against the closure.