Cinema groups across the UK have either made the decision to close doors or screen HM Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral for free.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age 96 on 8 September, millions of businesses, companies, and organisations worldwide have been paying tribute to the longest-reigning British monarch in history – with many taking the decision to make changes or amend operations as a mark of respect.
And it seems that cinemas nationwide are no different.
Odeon, Cineworld, Picturehouse, Showcase and The Light – most of which have sites across Greater Manchester and the North West – have all confirmed that they will be closing theatres nationwide for all of Monday – which has been declared a bank holiday for the State Funeral.
Other cinema chains, including Curzon and Arc have chosen to screen the funeral for free and cancel the rest of scheduled programming that day.
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Cinemas across UK to either close or screen Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral for free on Monday / Credit: The Royal Family
Vue – which is one of the UK’s largest cinema chains, and the operator of a handful fo sites in Greater Manchester – has decided to do a combination of both, by cancelling all of its scheduled screenings on Monday, but announcing that it will be opening a select number of venues to screen the funeral from 11am on Monday.
The cinema chain is also the London Procession at the majority of its UK venues.
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“Seats will be free of charge and we will close our retail stands, but will offer complimentary bottled water during the broadcast,” the chain said in a statement.
“On this day all other screens will be open showing film content as normal,” the chain concluded.
We offer our sincere condolences to the Windsor family following the sad death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We will always remember her indisputable kindness, as well as the service and dedication she gave to our country. pic.twitter.com/KOqwRldeNM
Although some have made the decision to, cinemas, public museums, galleries, and other arts and culture venues are not obliged to close during the period of national mourning or on the day of the State Funeral.
Guidance from the UK government explains: “Organisations may choose to close on the day of the State Funeral, however there is no obligation to do so and this is at the discretion of individual organisations. As with other organisations, these institutions may wish to display or share images of previous Royal visits, particularly if they are one of Her Majesty’s patronages.”
The day after the State Funeral marks the end of the period of national mourning.
Featured Image – HOME MCR
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The brand new show is due to air in April and will see some of the series’ most memorable campmates heading to a new setting in South Africa.
Names involved include Bolton-born boxing legend Amir Khan, Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan, and Happy Mondays legend Shaun Ryder.
And that’s just part of the first wave of celebrity contestants – more famous faces will take part in I’m A Celebrity… South Africa, entering the camp as the series goes on.
The new series will ‘push them to their limits and test them like never before’, ITV has said, promising bigger and tougher challenges and an even harsher environment.
Also taking part from the launch episode will be Diversity star Jordan Banjo, TV presenter Carol Vorderman, Olympian Fatima Whitbread, former royal butler Paul Burrell, ex-England cricketer Phil Tufnell, and supermodel Janice Dickinson.
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Featured image: ITV
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Commentator Arlo White shows off what the Old Trafford gantry walk looks like
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Ever wondered what it’s like to be up in the gantry in a football stadium, say, Old Trafford? Well, we certainly have.
You see the odd shot of the commentators sat there on the telly from time to time but it never really gives much away either and, at some venues, it’s quite a ways up there. There’s a little bit of allure behind these mysterious parts of footy grounds that most fans will never get to see.
After hours of mindless scrolling on the social media app, we stumbled across the well-known sports commentator‘s channel where he’s been showing off what it’s like to go in the gantry and one of them is his long walk to crow’s nest up at the Theatre of Dreams.
As it turns out, Arlo’s been doing these videos for a couple of years now, revealing how the gantry looks not only at Old Trafford but other big Premier League grounds too, such as down the road at the Etihad, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Tottenham Hotspurs’ sparkly new ground and many more.
Another reason we found ourselves stuck on his TikTok for so long was also because of the other behind-the-scenes details he reveals too, even shedding light on how he prepares for games: note-taking, data sheets, how keeps himself warm up there during those cold nights on comms and so on.
Emily Sergeant -
14th September 2022 
