A local MHK and Port St Mary resident has organised a monthly movie night in the village’s town hall.
Michelle Haywood, who is the MHK for Rushen, has set up the event which will show a variety of movies and invites attendees to bring their own food from local takeout stores.
The movies will be shown on the last Friday of every month apart from the first showing, which will be held on Thursday, October 31.
The ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ will be the first showing, in celebration of Hop Tu Naa.
The online announcement of the new venture reads: ‘Our seating is arranged around tables, and you can bring whatever food and drink you want to the showing - from a can of pop and a packet of crisps to a bottle of wine and a charcuterie platter.
‘You can order food in Port St Mary from Andreas, Kella's or Fresh Fried and Crispy. Please bring cutlery, plates and glasses if that's what you want to use.
‘Think of it like a picnic and please take everything home with you at the end. We will be showing classic and cult films every month, with requests welcome. Each film showing will have a quiz running with a prize for the winning table.’
The monthly showings will be ticketed, with all proceeds going towards ‘local good causes’.
Talking about how long she’s had the idea, Dr Haywood said: ‘I’ve been looking to do this for quite a while. It’s probably been about three or four years in the making.
‘I obtained a grant to purchase the projector and screen in the town hall as part of the “Mona’s Queen Expedition and Exhibition” project. It was part of the lasting legacy of the project that the town hall was equipped to show films.
‘It’s been very easy to get access to the town hall - the staff worked with me to agree dates and get them booked in. The town hall is a huge asset for the village and events like this are great for the community.’
Dr Haywood has also said that there is potential for more showings to be held should the venture prove to be successful.
She added: ‘Generally the plan was for the last Friday, although I’ve had feedback asking for other days to be considered. I’ll be recruiting people to help if there’s a demand to expand the offering.
‘It’s a possibility [that more showings will be held], but it will need more volunteers to step up and support setting up and running the door to make the nights happen.
‘There seems to have been a good response on Facebook so far with lots of positive comments about the concept and the selection of films, so I am hoping the community gets behind the idea.’
Other films that are scheduled to be shown include ‘Die Hard’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’, ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘Casablanca’.
If you have an interest in booking tickets, you can visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/port-st-mary-business-association