‘Streaming platforms are great, but you can’t beat the magic of cinema’
Businesses closing are part of the ebb and flow of change in society, but the shutting down of Kettering Odeon has left a particularly large imprint on people in the town.
The Odeon first opened in 1997 with a screening of James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies.
Aimee Duffy, a former employee of the Odeon between the years of 2006 and 2010, reminisces of the time she spent there.
Aimee said: “I have fond memories working there, free film tickets, staff discount on food, staff screenings of new films the night before they were released to the public.
"Such fun times and it’s so sad it’s closed.”
Aimee went to watch one last film on the Sunday before the cinema complex closed, with a friend who also used to work there and explained how it was such a strange feeling know it would be the last time she’d be in the building.
The Odeon holds different memories for everyone, be it employee or customer.
Barry Wilkinson, an avid movie-fan who lives in Barton Seagrave, held the Odeon close to his heart.
Barry said: "I remember travelling to Peterborough to the Odeon cinema as a kid and fell in love with the big screen, so when we finally got a decent cinema in Kettering it was amazing.
"The memories I have are really about the people that I went with.
"We celebrated birthdays of friends and families and had some great nights out, and of course some brilliant films too.”
It can’t be denied that the rising popularity of streaming platforms played a role in the steady post-Covid decline that the Odeon faced.
However, for loyal cinema fans such as Barry, the glamour of the big screen never faded.
He said: "Let’s face it, streaming platforms are great, but you can’t beat the magic of the cinema.
"I think of it as a complete escape from reality, at the cinema you are immersed in a film and there’s no-one nipping to the front room to grab something at a critical point.
"Also, I think there is something great about a full cinema, it is a unique shared experience.”
Troy Clamp, another former employee and videographer, saw the shutting down of the Odeon as a significant turning point in the evolving media industry.
Troy said: "The meteoric rise of streaming platforms has been a point of controversy since it took root in Covid.
"Many see it as a detriment to the industry due to it encouraging an almost ‘fast food’ oriented approach to a deeply creative world, which to an extent I agree with.”
Troy, much like Barry, felt that the huge increase in food and ticket prices over recent years is what began steering people away from the Odeon.
He said: “Cinemas need to stop raising prices to maximise profits and focus more on creating a unique experience for the consumer.
"Cinemas are an experience, a place you go to escape every day.
"The price only becomes worth it when the experience from door to screen warrants the cost, and sadly Odeon Kettering could not deliver that.”
With the loss of the Odeon came a lot of resurfaced memories for the people of Kettering.
It was a place that grew to represent the magic of film, but also friendship and community.