Cleethorpes' Parkway celebrates 20th birthday as UK's biggest independent cinema

Cleethorpes Parkway cinema is celebrating its 20th birthday this week with Avengers and Avatars still topping the bill of most watched movies.

Parkway is the biggest independent cinema in the UK. Inspirational businessman, Gerald Parkes MBE invested £4million to build the nine-screen cinema which opened in November 2004.

Proposals for a new cinema to serve North East Lincolnshire were first mooted a decade earlier but never got off the ground.

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Owner and director Richard Parkes and multi-site general manager, Andrew Cooper have served customers through those two decades of success and looked back at the highlights of the iconic entertainment venue.

Some of the blockbuster films are surprising and give an insight into how movie fans' tastes have changed over the years.

CDC Architecture were behind the design of the Parkway Cinema and the nine screens have a combined seating capacity in excess of 1,600. The foyer area includes a licensed bar based on the golden age of cinema. Today, the cinema boasts a state-of-the-art digital projection and sound system.

A new James Bond movie was the perfect excuse to roll out the red carpet and invite film fans to dress in their black ties and evening dresses. Two Aston Martins were lent to the cinema to welcome guests at one of the latest Bond films.

As well as the Bond series, Harry Potter films generated lots of visitors, along with the Toy Story movies, and Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean series compete for top place also in the most watched films.

Parkway shows not just the latest movie releases but versions in 3D as well as live shows from comedy to music, dance and festive pantomimes. It's also held debates and hosted film premieres and shows, with famous faces including; Dave Berry, Alan Carr, Paul Daniels, Reginald D Hunter, Bernie Clifton, Dave Spikey, Jason Manford, John Bishop, Rhod Gilbert, Germaine Greer, Simon Weston, Jamie Cullum, Bobby Davro, our very own swing singer Gary Williams and local comedian Lloyd Griffith, who raised the roof, as ever.

The cinema was built to a steel and glass design, partly art-deco and reminiscent of magnificent Gaumonts from the 1930s. Construction on the 20-acre site saw steelworks and concrete slabs put in place before Christmas 2003.

The new building features two 1930s-style towers at the front, and the silver-coloured exterior is intended to reflect the classic livery of 1940s aviation. The red bricks were specially made, and a green trim around the roof suggests weathered copper.

A staff recruitment fair in Cleethorpes Town Hall attracted 410 would-be cinema workers, from which just 40 full and part-time employees were chosen.

Gerald Parkes had been in the industry since 1960s and also owned the former Majestic cinema in Scunthorpe and the Playhouse in Louth.

The complex would also feature a 300-plus seat theatre, for shows and other types of holiday entertainment. The smallest screen room seats 60 people and the largest 320. The Hayward Suite is named in honour of Mr Parkes’ wife Denise, whose maiden name is Hayward.

At the opening Gerald said: "It must be the longest wait in cinema history, but I am absolutely delighted. I must admit there were times when I never thought I would see this day.”

The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on November 4, at a special VIP night, with the honours undertaken by the then Mayor of North East Lincs, Councillor Margaret Solomon and her consort Leo Solomon. The cinema opened to the public on November 5.

Previews of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason were planned for the opening weekend along with Finding Neverland, Shark Tale, Bad Santa, Alfie, Alien Vs Predator, The Grudge, The Princess Diaries II and De-Lovely. Tickets were priced at £4.50 off-peak, £5.40 peak times.

Andrew looked back at the proud achievement of 20 years of providing storytelling, unforgettable performances, and technological innovation. In 2004, The Incredibles marked Pixar's first foray into the world of superhero animation, while Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (2005) kicked off a new era of darker, grittier superhero films, paving the way for the massive success of the Dark Knight Trilogy . Additionally, films like The Dark Knight (2008) and Avatar (2009) showcased the immense potential for combining spectacle with complex storytelling, and Avatar in particular revolutionized 3D filmmaking.

Marvel’s continued dominance also played out on the big screen. Avengers: Endgame (2019), the culmination of over a decade of interconnected storytelling, became the highest-grossing film of all time (until Avatar reclaimed its throne in 2021 after a re-release).

He said: "Looking back over the past 20 years, it’s clear that cinema has transformed in ways both expected and unexpected. We’ve seen new formats, diverse stories, and technological breakthroughs that have expanded what is possible on screen”.

“Moving forward over the next 20 years. Cinema will continue to captivate, inspire, and unite us as it has for over a century – Going to the cinema has always been more than a simple entertainment experience, it’s a social ritual, a reason for friends, family , and strangers to come together and step into a collective experience. It’s a togetherness, and within that togetherness we have experienced groups of people laughing, crying, cheering, and later discussing what they experienced on the big screen in the foyer afterwards, you can’t replicate that anywhere else. – I feel proud and privileged to provide this service to our communities and look forward to building on the last 20 years into the next.”

“ In 2004 I was a young ambitious 19-year-old fresh from an apprenticeship in Business, I always loved the cinema watching my first film in 1989 “The Land Before Time” and my second being one of my favourites of all time - Ghostbusters 2 later the same year. I still have the promotional cup from my visit.. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the cinema industry and working for the Parkes family, I was quickly promoted through the management ladder and continued to gain experience alongside our brilliant management team, who have mostly been here from the very beginning too.”

“I am now 39 and have officially worked with Parkway and my colleagues more than half of my life.. it feels like I have taken a trip in the DeLorean its gone so fast! - The Back To The Future trilogy being my favourites too!.”

“In a world that can often feel isolating, Cinema remains a space where we can find connection, escapism, and immersive experiences, I look forward to being a part of offering that service here at Parkway for the next 20 years and beyond. Its an exciting future where the power of story will continue to bring people together, connecting communities, and creating shared experiences.”

“We pride ourselves on making cinema accessible to all & providing attentive customer service, we get to know our customers personally and their feedback helps shape decisions we make - from what films we play to what food and drink we stock

Director Richard Parkes said ”We often talk about being a family business, and it’s the things that means the most to us and makes us different from the big chains. Mum still comes in every week for the Senior Screen on a Tuesday, and helps serve up the tea and coffee and hugs for the customers who want them.

"The whole ethos that dad had was about being an affordable treat and about giving a really warm welcome and looking after people properly. The best thing is that so many of the team who started with us 20 years ago are still here. People who started with us as teenagers have now got families and kids of their own, and it’s just brilliant being part of that. The family-feel that came so strongly from dad is very much alive and well, and that’s all down to our team and how hard they all work to keep the spirit of the business alive even after he’d gone.

"Cleethorpes is actually the biggest independent cinema in the UK, and we never want to lose that local business feeling."

The cinema director looked ahead to the next 20 years. "There’s been a lot of talk about cinema being in danger thanks to streaming, to inflation, to rising costs and a hundred other things. But it’s just not true. Look at the films coming out between now and Christmas – Paddington is back, there’s a new Gladiator, a new Moana, a new Sonic and Wicked looks amazing too – people will always want to get together and share the big screen experience. Even as the technology and the films might change, the simple joy of being in a big room and sharing the experience with other people is going to last forever."

The cinema has changed a lot over the last 20 years. All the projection and screens have been upgraded and digitised. We are offering much more hot food like pizzas and nuggets. The bar keeps getting busier and the kids birthday parties are more popular than ever. We’ve got some interesting plans for Cleethorpes in our 20 ^th year, and we’ve been working with NELC for a long time as part of the re-invention of Freshney Place, and are signed up and ready to go as soon as they are."

Richard recalled the heartache of the lockdown due to coronavirus. “When Covid hit and shut us down, it was one of the hardest times we’ve had as a family. We didn’t know when, or even if we’d ever be able to open again, and we really didn’t know if we’d survive. But we did, and the support that we got from our community was unbelievable.

"When the much delayed Bond film “Time To Die” finally did come out, we went for the full red carpet opening, had Aston Martins outside the cinema and the team were in full Bond outfits. We had people queueing out the door and the buzz of being busy again was amazing."

His favourite moment was the world premiere of Jack Spring's "Three Day Millionaire" which packed six of the nine cinemas.

"Watching the audience react to watching their hometown on screen was a magic moment," he said. He is also excited about the annual Polar Express Pyjama party.

"We do our Polar Express Pyjama Party, and it’s become an annual tradition for loads of families. We’ve got the fancy dress, the snow machines, hot chocolate and treats and it’s honestly one of the highlights of the year to see how excited the kids get. It’s brilliant!”

His brother Gerrard Parkes said: "“Together, we've enjoyed meeting pirates and wizards, superheros and villains and fallen in and out of love with Hollywood stars.

"We've seen technologies change and generations grow. We're so proud of that and shared love of the big screen experience, and are immensely proud to reach this landmark. There’s nothing would make us happier than to share the next 20 years of your cinema adventures. Watch this space!”