Film-lovers flock to weekend of drive-in movie fun
A popular drive-in events company brought the fun of the cinema to film lovers from across Staffordshire and the surrounding area with a weekend of classic films in a safe environment.
Grease, Dirty Dancing, Bohemian Rhapsody, Avengers Endgame and the Lion King were just some of the films watched by more than 2,000 people over the from Friday to Sunday.
The event was organised and put on by events company Alfresco Cinema and held at Lower Drayton Farm in Stafford.
Alfresco Cinema had put on a similar event at the farm in August, which saw nearly 1,000 people attend, and director Nick Ricketts said the company had begun making plans as soon as the Covid roadmap was announced.
He said: "We delivered three drive-in cinemas last year and had plans to do more, but couldn't proceed because of government regulations.
"When outdoor events were given the go-ahead from April 12, we implemented our drive-in cinema for the first weekend after as a way to get people out and about.
"I also wanted to come back to Lower Drayton as it's right on my doorstep, has a great catchment area going all the way to Birmingham and Wolverhampton and is just a brilliant location."
Mr Ricketts said all social distancing measures had been taken, including cars having individual bays, people asked to wear face masks if walking around the grounds and refreshments being brought to the cars.
He said: "We've got clear signage on site and have recommended that people wear face coverings when they leave their vehicles.
"Additionally, the toilets are a one-in, one-out system and our catering has an app that means people don't need to go to the catering facilities, but it's brought to their vehicles for them.
"We've got plenty of hand sanitiser around the site, safety messages everywhere and full first aid facilities, so we've done everything we can to make it a safe experience."
Mr Ricketts said that the long days putting the cinema on had been worth it, having seen people enjoying themselves.
He said: "The 17-hour-days have been worth it for me and for everyone else for their mental health and wellbeing.
"People still want to come together and it's been nice to see people who know each other coming together and enjoying the films."
