The Broadway Cinema is one of Nottingham’s cultural gems… and one of its best kept secrets.
Patronised by those in the know, the cultured, the adventurous, those who are disillusioned with the mainstream movie pap that the Showcase offers and those who got lost on their way to somewhere else, it shows the very best in old and new cinematic fare, in an atmosphere that is relaxed, sophisticated and just invites you to not only watch a film but to come in and linger.
Film festivals, workshops and special events abound, making the Broadway a centre for creative visual arts as well as an excellent cinema. And, as if all this wasn’t enough, the decor of one of their auditoria was designed by local lad Paul Smith.
The only down side is that their coffee is sometimes not fresh and not very strong (got to be some negatives, eh?).
Give the Broadway a try… but don’t expect re-runs of Lethal Weapon or Rambo… unless they feature them in the ‘Very Bad Films We Have Loved’ season.
Common sense in Sneinton
The BBC reports today that the sub-postmaster in Sneinton who refused to serve anyone who couldn’t speak English has left his job voluntarily.
They say: “Sri Lankan-born Deva Kumarasiri, who worked at the sub post office on Sneinton Boulevard, made the national news after announcing his policy. He had claimed non-English speakers frustrated other customers and made it difficult to do his job properly. Mr Kumarasiri said most people supported him but a “small minority” launched a petition against him.
I doubt that the latter is true. Assuming that anyone who can’t speak in English is lazy, arrogant or apathetic, which is what Mr Kumarasiri seemd to do, is clearly unfair and bordering on a racist and fascist attitude that ascribes negative characteristics to certain people based on a particular factor about them or a very narrow view of their circumstances.
I have no doubt that people struggling to make themselves understood in a foreign language whilst holding up the post office queue would be frustrating for those waiting. But, if this was a criterion for not being served, most Brits on holiday anywhere (other than the US or Australia) would never be able to buy anything.
And if Mr Kumarasiri really wanted to help these people (rather than punish them) he could have tried to find out about English language classes in the area and publicised them in his post office. I wonder if that occurred to him?
On the whole, I think Sneinton will manage quite well without him.