Cinema-goers in Harrogate had to be evacuated mid-movie last night when a fire alarm went off.
The alarm sounded at the Everyman cinema on Station Parade at 9.42pm last night.
All the theatres within the cinema and the connecting buildings were immediately evacuated.
Firefighters from Harrogate were on the scene within five minutes for what turned out to be a false alarm caused by a faulty fire detector.
People were allowed back in the building shortly after 10pm.
Oliver Dawson was among those watching Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes when the alarm went off.
He said as soon as the incident was over, staff offered customers either a free ticket to watch on another day or the option to continue last night’s viewing from the time the alarm went off, which he took.
Mr Dawson said:
“The cinema staff couldn’t have done anything else. They kept us all informed and handled the problem as quick and efficiently as it was safe to do so.
“Personally, it just felt like going to the theatre with an interval.”
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Lego Wonderland aims to draw visitors to Harrogate this summer
Children are being invited to hunt around the centre of Harrogate this summer for classic children’s characters with a difference.
An Alice in Wonderland Lego trail is being launched tomorrow, with 15 large characters in locations around the town.
The event has been organised by Harrogate BID and the characters made by Yorkshire charity Fairybricks.
The six builders took six months and more than 514,000 Lego bricks to create the masterpieces, which will be in place until Saturday, August 20.
Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:
“Last year’s Lego trail, featuring a number of well-known Harrogate landmarks, was a huge success, hence its return this summer.
“This time we have gone for an Alice in Wonderland theme, and the models created by the Fairybricks team are simply stunning, and I can’t wait to see them in situ.
“These 15 models haven’t been displayed anywhere before, and after their Harrogate debut they will then be heading off to different events and venues all over the world.”
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The three-week event is designed to bring people into town during the summer, supporting the BID’s levy payers and other businesses in the area.
Sculptures include Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and the Dormouse, and will be at locations including the Victoria Shopping Centre, the Everyman cinema, the Turkish Baths, and the Harrogate Town FC shop on Commercial Street.
The trail can be downloaded via the LoyalFree app, which is free to download from the App Store or Play Store.
Last year’s Lego trail attracted more than 5,500 people to take part using the app, with others enjoying seeing the sculptures while they were in the town centre.
Mr Chapman added:
Odeon Harrogate delays reopening date“We are really excited to be bringing back the Harrogate Lego Trail. It was certainly one of our highlights of last year, and one that help take visitors into different parts the town.
“And with our ongoing Floral Summer of Celebration – featuring a stunning trail, colourful shop window displays and fascinating exhibition – coupled with brilliant shops, bars, restaurants and beautiful gardens and open parkland, Harrogate town centre really is this summer’s must-visit destination.
“I’d also like to thank all the businesses that are participating in the Alice in Brickland Harrogate Lego Trail, who have made room within their premises to display one of the sculptures.”
Harrogate’s Odeon cinema will not open on July 16 as previously announced – but the Everyman will open later today.
Because summer blockbusters including Wonder Woman 2 and Mulan have been delayed, Odeon said its Harrogate cinema will instead open at some point later this summer.
Cinema-goers in Harrogate had hoped to be able to visit the Odeon from next Thursday and it had announced it would be showing a selection of classic films including The Empire Strikes Back.
An Odeon spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:
“Our next phase of reopening will continue to take place from this Friday. However, in light of changes in the timing of this summer’s big blockbusters, the reopening dates scheduled for the rest of our cinemas across July, including Odeon Harrogate, will now be phased over July and August.
“We are pleased to be welcoming guests back to selected cinemas across the UK, and we continue to receive positive feedback from cinemagoers on their experience and the additional safety measures we have put in place.”
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Odeon said when customers are allowed back into its Harrogate cinema, family groups and social bubbles will be allowed to sit next together, but between separate customers there will be an unoccupied seat. Staggered show times will also limit the chance of long queues.
In related news, Everyman cinema in Westgate House, Harrogate, will open later today for the first time since March. A mix of classic films and recent releases are available to watch including Parasite, the Wolf of Wall Street and Fantastic Mr Fox.