Some 20 years after the town’s last filmhouse was knocked down, a cinema complex is still the thing most people in Arbroath desire.
That is the view of local businessman Ian Watson, who was previously behind a bid to turn the former Marine Ballroom on Hill Road into a cinema and leisure complex.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the demolition of the last remaining cinema in Arbroath and Angus.
The demolition of The Palace on James Street in 1992 marked the end of an era of entertainment.
Mr Watson and the late John Air came up with the idea for a cinema and leisure complex in 1996 but it failed to get off the ground because they wanted to incorporate a bar.
There have been further applications for a cinema in Arbroath since 1996 but all have fallen by the wayside, meaning Dundee remains the nearest stop for film fans.
Mr Watson recalled: ”We looked at the idea of a cinema and leisure complex which would attract people to Arbroath from across Angus and beyond.
”People would have come to Arbroath to the cinema rather than going out of the town to spend their money in Dundee.
”There was the argument that a big operator wouldn’t come to Arbroath but I think they would have done with the support of the council.
”Without the council saying ‘this is a great idea, let’s try it’, the amount of money it would have taken to get the plans drawn up was just far to much to throw into the council coffers not to get a return on.”
He added: ”The cinema is just another thing that has gone over the years but I don’t see why it couldn’t make a return if the will is there to do it.”
At one time Arbroath boasted three cinemas.
In the heyday of cinema in Angus, there were also two picture houses in Forfar, two in Brechin, two in Montrose, two in Carnoustie and one in Kirriemuir.
Angus historian Sandy Dolan claims Montrose could count itself as having five cinemas at one time due to venues such as the skating rink showing movies.