Loxwood villagers get the big screen scene

A state-of-the-art audio-visual system partly sponsored by AvantiGas has been installed at Loxwood Village Hall.
Chairman of Loxwood Village Hall Peter winney outside the hall - contributedChairman of Loxwood Village Hall Peter winney outside the hall - contributed
Chairman of Loxwood Village Hall Peter winney outside the hall - contributed

Having many customers in the area, Avanti wanted to put something back and donated £3,448 to complete the £11,700 fund-raising campaign to provide the system for North Hall, the handsome village hall built in 1937 and given a £340,000 revamp in 2011.

Chairman of the North Hall Management Trustees (NHMT) Mr Peter Winney said “The nearest cinema screen is at The Capitol Theatre in Horsham, which doubles as a cinema, but now we have the ability to show anything and everything right here in the village.

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“We’ve just installed a four-metre screen with remote control and a video projector mounted in the vaulted roof, and enough speakers to have Dalby 5.1 surround sound.”

Mr Winney said he hoped the planned cinema screenings would appeal to residents in every part of the village and to all age groups.

“It will be easier for elderly people to get down to their local village hall and see some good films – and at the other end of the scale the Loxwood Pre-School has supported the project by donating £1500.”

Parents on the pre-school’s management committee also run the annual Loxfest beer and music festival: “so it’s quite likely they will be using the equipment for that too.”

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AvantiGas Brand and Marketing Executive Abi Martin said: “We were delighted to be able to help bring this great new community resource to Loxwood and I’m sure it will be a talking point for our drivers when they are making deliveries in the village and the local area. We hope the new system will entertain and serve residents for many years to come.”

Mr Winney said the new system could also be used for weddings and social events and would help to bring the village together socially. “Various clubs will use it such as the bee-keepers’ club and the garden club. Their presentations will be greatly enhanced by the big screen and a decent sound system. Once people get to know about the new system it will generate extra use as well.”

Local fund-raising for the new system has also come from North Hall’s monthly jazz club run by celebrated saxophonist and local resident Simon Bates, who has played on many pop hits and recorded with stars such as Kylie Minogue, Elvis Costello and Shane MacGowan as well as gigging with jazz greats including John Dankworth and Jamie Cullum.

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