The Golden Lion is the only service within the small hamlet of Llangynhafal, which is four miles from the nearest service centre of Ruthin. The pub is a freehouse, then owned and run by Colin and Helen Garner, now retired, and offers bed and breakfast and a small campsite. The pub is located on the edge of the Clwydian range and is popular with locals and walkers. The pub was looking to provide other services to the village, and following discussions and meetings with local people, it was apparent that a cinema club would be welcomed and supported, as the closest cinemas to the area are over 45 minutes drive away. Local people can now just stroll down the road to the pub and meet together with friends and neighbours, and after the showing are able to share their views on the film they have just seen together.
The Golden Lion’s Cinema Club is operated by the licensee on Monday evenings and shows films free of charge for the local community and visitors to the area. The pub was previously closed on Mondays, and but now the Cinema Club shows films once a month in the evening on a large screen TV with a Blue Ray player and surround sound system.
The correct ‘public performance’ licence had to be in place, and the pub had to apply for a ‘Public Video Screening License’, which places a number of restrictions on the club. This license allows the showing of the films for free; however, the film can only be advertised within the pub building. While there is no charge for the attending the cinema club, members can purchase food and drink on the night. The cinema club is run as part of the Golden Lion’s service to the community, to provide local entertainment and a reason for people to get together. There are also plans for movies on Saturday mornings for parents and children, and it is hoped to expand the number of films shown in order to include different genres and attract a wide range of groups into the pub.
The Golden Lion Cinema Club is a non-profit-making service – a community film club open to all. Since the launch, there has been a growing number of people attending, and local residents are involved and being asked to recommend the films that they would like to see. Enjoying the collective experience of watching a film and chatting about it afterwards has been a very positive experience for everyone.
- The project has provided a new service in the village, and makes a valuable contribution to community life.
- The project has provided an opportunity for a wide range of individuals and groups to get regularly get together.
- The proposed Saturday morning cinema for families and children will be a valuable community service.
- The pub environment provides a comfortable, warm, relaxing venue for a cinema club, which fits well with the environment, services and amenities of the pub.
- The project has given the licensee confidence to consider developing further community projects.
- A wide range of age groups have benefited from the project, which has helped both the community and the pub.
2019 Update: The Golden Lion has new licensees, Brian and Sue Kerby, and the cinema is still popular!
Total project capital costs £2,215.00
Applicant contribution £ 551.00
Grant £ 1661.00
This project has received funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
For more information telephone 01423 546165 or email enquiries@pubisthehub.org.uk