The team at Royston Picture Palace are up for the challenge of continuing the success of the community cinema throughout this new year, no mean feat as nearly 10,000 tickets were sold in 2016!

The project, which sees Royston Town Hall turn into a state-of-the-art digital cinema on weekends, is run entirely by volunteers in a joint collaboration by the town council and Royston First.

Royston town manager Geraint Burnell said: “Royston Picture Palace has just completed its third full calendar year – and what a success it’s been. With just shy of 10,000 tickets sold – 9,899 according to our box office software – we have been a success by any measure – but especially for a cinema run purely by volunteers at the weekends.

“We screened 78 different films during the year. Some, such as Lady In The Van, were runaway successes. One, Girl On A Train, was unique in that we sold every single ticket in the house for both nights it was shown!

“Others, it has to be admitted, failed to excite the ticket-buying public. However, the important point is that a wide selection of current films were presented throughout the year – and in Royston.

“Always remember – it’s less than four years since we didn’t have a cinema at all.”

And looking to the year ahead, Mr Burnell added: “As for 2017, who knows? It all depends on what films they release. All we can say is that January is already looking like another cracker!”

This weekend there is plenty in store once again.

Tomorrow night, powerful biopic A United Kingdom is being shown at 7.30pm, and then at the same time on Saturday.

It tells the story of Seretse Khama, the former African Royal who caused controversy with his interracial marriage to English woman Ruth Williams. Struggling for acceptance, he later leads his nation to independence from the British Empire as first president of the new state of Botswana.

Then on Saturday at 3.30pm, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a treat for Harry Potter fans of all ages, and sees Newt Scamander head to New York with an array of magical creatures, and trouble ensues.

For tickets or to see what else is coming up in January go to www.roystonpicturepalace.co.uk