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I'm not sure where people think all this demand for cinemas in Bromley is going to come from. The Odeon/Empire/Cineworld has suffered from years of underinvestment and sits largely empty.

The Odeon at Beckenham is OK and popular - great building, but listed status restricts improvements to facilities. The new Odeon in Orpington is a very good modern cinema, albeit modestly sized.

So what becomes of Cineworld when the Vue opens at the other end of the high street and intu's boutique cinema appears on the roof of the shopping centre?

I have great memories of going to the cinema in Bromley as a kid. But if I ever go there now, it's for cheap early morning films with the kids.

Perhaps the Picture House route would work in Bromley when the new mainstream competition launches. It's certainly an option that Odeon or Empire wouldn't have had. But it's going to need investment - starting with a jolly good clean, inside and out!