September 13, 2022 8.30 pm This story is over 33 months old

100 years of Kinema In The Woods: Surviving WW2 and COVID to entertain generations

Glamorous tradition with its feet firmly on the ground – happy 100th!

By Local Democracy Reporter

Nestled in a tranquil wooded area of East Lindsey town Woodhall Spa, The Kinema In The Woods has served the local area for 100 years – showing blockbuster films in a setting that nods to the golden age of cinema.

A century is a mighty long time, particularly in the ever-changing world of film, but Woodhall Spa’s Kinema In The Woods has remained a magical constant through trials and tribulations to delight audiences.

An anniversary event was held on Sunday, September 11, exactly a century to the day from when the first Charlie Chaplin film was shown at Kinema.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Lincolnite went to visit Kinema In The Woods and its current general manager Philip Jones, who took us on a history lesson of the site’s rich heritage.

We asked Philip what it is about the Kinema that has allowed it to survive and thrive all these generations. He said: “It still has that magic feel even to this day.

“Cinema is all about that shared experience, so there’s nothing better than seeing a full house for a big blockbuster.

“Kinema In The Woods has been styled around the golden age of cinema in the 40s and 50s, with big showmanship and theatrical lighting. You just don’t see our features in most cinema settings.”

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Whether it’s the scatterings of movie memorabilia, the giant Dalek by the confectionery stand, or the iconic Compton Organ, everyone remembers their trip to Kinema In The Woods.

This is an exploration of the site’s rich history, from navigating its way through a World War, a global pandemic and an evolving world of cinema to stand tall in the 21st century.


Humble beginnings from wealthy owners

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The building hasn’t always been a cinema. Formerly a sports pavilion belonging to the Victoria Hotel, it wasn’t until a fire at the hotel on Easter Sunday in 1920 that real change began for the site.

The pavilion was untouched by the fire, and eventually acquired by Lady Weigall and Sir Archibald, who lived at what is now the Petwood Hotel. They were very wealthy individuals and put a lot of money into a conversion for the pavilion to become a cinema.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

They enlisted the help of a man called Captain Carleton Cole Allport, who had not long returned from serving his country in the First World War.

Allport ran the cinema for the owners and the first show at the newly named Pavilion Cinema was on September 11, 1922. It was supposed to be a film called Lion Eaters, but that never arrived via train. Luckily, they got hold of a Charlie Chaplin film to show instead.


The Allport Era and WW2

Captain Allport is etched into the history of Kinema In The Woods. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Captain Allport eventually bought the cinema from Sir Archibald and Lady Weigall and proudly ran proceedings right up until 1973 – where he oversaw major changes to the site itself and cinema as a whole.

It was Allport who gave the venue its now iconic name of The Kinema In The Woods in 1930, and despite being called back into active service for the Second World War, it stayed open in his absence.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The name Kinema is a showcase of the venue’s traditions in the realm of cinema. It originates from the term ‘kinematograph’ which describes machines that could capture objects with and in motion. Over time it became cinematography, and Kinema became cinema, but the original name stuck in Woodhall Spa.

Kinema was a significant place for the community during World War Two, offering a morale boost for servicemen, as well as preparation for any potential bombings given the close proximity of Woodhall Spa to so many RAF bases in Lincolnshire.

Allport returned from the war and continued to run the Kinema right up until he fell ill in the early 1970s. He sold it in 1973, just before his death, to a Staffordshire cinema owner called James Green.


Change of ownership helps move with the times

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

James Green’s arrival prompted the start of a new era for Kinema, but one that never took away from the initial charm that made Green fall in love with the place.

He wanted to stamp his authority immediately. Previous owners were very particular about the type of film that was showed, but Green threw the rule book out the window from the very first moment.

His maiden screening as Kinema In The Woods owner was A Clockwork Orange, and a massive refurbishment period was underway – including perhaps the most recognisable change in the site’s history…


The Compton Organ

The remarkable Compton Organ. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

If you’ve been to Kinema In The Woods, it is highly likely you have been treated to a magical performance on the Compton Organ in the screen one room.

Intervals in films are called at Kinema, allowing for a stunning organ to rise from the ground and the wonderful Alan Underwood, resident organ player, to entertain the crowd with music.

The Compton Organ dates back to 1928, when it was installed at the Super Cinema in London. It only lasted a few years in the capital, as it was taken out in the 1930s and moved into storage.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Decades later, in 1988, James Green heard about the organ and acquired it for the Kinema. He built a pit in the ground big enough to fit the organ and someone to play it on a platform, with a vision of them rising from the floor and into sight.

Green himself was a keen organ player, but Nicholas Martin was the first to play the incredible instrument at Kinema – though if you’ve been in the last 30 years or so it will be Alan Underwood that you recognise.


Expansion with more screens

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

In 1994, a second screen was added at Kinema, with a showing of Four Weddings and a Funeral gracing the new screen for the first time.

After Green’s retirement in 2013, refurbishment work has not stopped. Screen three arrived in 2019, and an intimate 21-seater screen four room opened in October 2021.

Self-playing pianos can be found at screens two and three, with the grand Compton Organ acting as musical centrepiece in screen one’s theatre room.


Current ownership rising through the ranks

Philip Jones, general manager at Kinema In The Woods. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

In 2004, a fresh-faced projectionist by the name of Philip Jones started working at Kinema In The Woods. After years of rising through the ranks, he took over as general manager of the site following James Green’s 2013 retirement.

Philip didn’t have a television in his house when he was a child, so he described going to the cinema as “a big treat” for him and his family. Little did he know he would soon be living that treat every day.

“It wasn’t something I envisaged, but I fell into it and absolutely love it”, Philip told The Lincolnite. “They were advertising for a part time job and my dad told me to go for it, the neighbours worked there and set up an interview for me. 18 years later and here I am.”


COVID-19 sparking fear for future

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

In March 2020 the nation was plunged into a lockdown due to the spiralling cases of COVID-19, a new virus of which we’d never experienced before. It closed industries and put business on hold, marking a truly frightening time for the country.

Philip Jones said the closure of the Kinema as a result of coronavirus was “the first time in its history it closed for a serious amount of time”, prompting “a few sleepless nights” along the way as an uncertain future lay ahead.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Kinema In The Woods initially felt left in the dark by delayed government response, but the introduction of business grants and the furlough scheme to financially protect businesses proved a lifesaver for the cinema.

It was “very quiet” through 2020 and again forced to close by COVID at the end of that year, not reopening again until May 2021.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The second return was again a slow burner, with social distancing measures introduced and an evident public anxiety after a year of being locked away at home.

As well as this, film production lines had been halted by the pandemic, so seldom few Hollywood blockbusters were in the pipeline, and it wasn’t until the release of the likes of Top Gun: Maverick or the Downton Abbey film this year that theatre numbers returned to more familiar levels.


Looking forward

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Kinema In The Woods has returned to “around 90%” of its pre-COVID levels for customers, and there is excitement in the air about the future of such an historic venue.

Philip Jones said he enjoys “every single day” in charge of Kinema, but especially loves the “buzz in the air” when a popular film with big name actors is on the screen.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

So why should you keep coming to Kinema? Philip has the answer for you: “We’re offering a unique experience with value for money thrown in there for good measure. It’s an old building but it’s not tired, it’s loved and it shows.”

To book tickets at Kinema In The Woods, check out the what’s on section of the cinema’s website for times and dates.

Oh, and in case you were wondering what the general manager of a cinema’s favourite film is: Philip opted for Christopher Nolan’s 2006 modern classic The Prestige – starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite