DR John Tough has quit his role running the Liphook Millennium Centre Cinema after a decade in the job.

The retiree said: “I established the cinema with Kay Murray’s late husband, David, getting on for 10 years ago.

“At the time, David and I were parish councillors as well as chairman and vice-chairman of the Millennium Centre management committee.

“We ran the cinema together until his sad death and I have continued ever since as part of a small team of volunteers which have included Kay, Louise Garwood, Wendy Moore, Janet Marr and Ron Tanner - to whom I am very grateful.

“Choosing the films was very difficult to start with – until we joined Moviola and began our regular trailer viewings, which proved to be very successful with the public.”

The Liphook Millennium Centremanagement committee, chaired by Jane Ives, issued a statement this week: “We would like to publicly thank John Tough who has been involved with the monthly cinema for a number of years and we are very grateful for all the hours and effort he has put in to make the cinema such a success.”

Plans to extend and enhance the centre’s screenings currently offered on a monthly basis, include a wider variety of films to appeal to all ages.

The next film is the popular Dame Maggie Smith movie Lady in The Van, to be shown on the evening of Friday April 1, and Sunday afternoon, on April 3, followed by an afternoon screening of the latest James Bond blockbuster Spectre, on Sunday, April 17.

The centre also held its first successful Film and Food Night last year and will be following this up with a special showing of the original The Italian Job, on Friday April 8. Tickets for the event will include Italian food.

Other Film and Food nights are due to be held later in the year with plans to show the Abba musical Mamma Mia and 1980s classic Dirty Dancing. 

The centre is hoping to introduce online booking in the near future making it even easier to book tickets in advance. Evening screenings start at 7.30pm, while afternoon performances begin at 2.30pm. Tickets cost £6, and £5 for over the 60s and under-15s, and are available from the parish council office on 01428 722988 and on the door.