PADDINGTON, BASIL FAWLTY AND OPERA – ALL AT 25 CHURCH ROAD (but it will cost £3,500 to hire the main hall for the day)
A SCREENING of the children’s film Paddington is set to take place in the cinema building at 25 Church Road tomorrow Saturday (16th).
The film will (almost certainly) be the first shown there since 1968 when the building closed as a cinema. The 11 am event is being advertised as ’50 plus’ tickets available with tickets costing £4.
On Saturday May 23rd a major awards event is being held at 25 Church Road. Other events being lined up include a Fawlty Towers Dinner Show on Friday May 29th (tickets from £37 plus booking fee) and an opera evening which appears to be the screening of an Italian production of
Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri (The Italian girl in Algiers)
MAJOR AWARDS EVENT PLANNED FOR CINEMA BUILDING – Tickets up to £50 – Press pass £25!
The Nigerian Events Awards UK 2015 includes awards for best DJ, fashion designer, cake designer, kiddies party entertainer comedian and best balloon decorator.
‘Early bird’ VIP tickets were being offered at £50 for front row round table seating for eight people. This includes “red carpet photo, access to Lebara photobooth, buffet dinner, champagne, bottles of wine on the table, soft drinks and networking.”
An exhibiting stall which covers one trestle table, one chair, one standard ticket which includes red carpet photos, packed dinner, drinks and networking is available for £75 – while a ‘media kit / press pass’ with the “opportunity to cover the number one award winning Nigerian event of the year” costs £25 (includes packed dinner).
HIRING FEES AT 25 CHURCH ROAD: An Internet item headed ‘The Open Door Venue’ apparently produced by Kitchen Angels which run the cafe in the 25 Church Road building, lists the following half-day charges:
Main hall hire rates:
Morning 7 am to 1 pm: £2,080.00
Afternoon 2pm to 5.30 pm: £1,456.00
Evening 6pm to 11pm £1,872.00
All day 7am to 11pm: £3,536.00
A meeting room for between 26 and 40 people is available at half-day rates from £189 (2 pm to 5.30pm); morning (8 am to 1pm) and evening (6 pm to 11 pm) for £270. The item adds: “Daily delegates rate starts at £17* per head which includes unlimited coffee, hot food from the Open Door cafe bar, cake, crisp and a bottle of still water (*for 40 guests.)”
There is no mention of KICC (Kingsway International Christian Centre) which owns the premises.
These prices contrast with the Phoenix community centre just around the corner on Westow Street where a small room costs £20 hour to hire, £25 an hour for a slightly larger room with bar area and £80 an hour for the main hall – all prices negotiable.
Elsewhere, the Open Door venue is being advertised on the Internet as a “premium venue for hire with a seating capacity of over 1100, great transport links and great facilities. Corporate events, weddings, concerts. conventions, forums, trade shows.” – but makes no mention of the lack of parking in the area.
