The Force was with us: A Star Wars Echoes special

Star Wars reached Bournemouth on February 9, 1978 – almost 10 months after it began breaking box office records in America.

To mark the release, just after midnight tonight, of Episode VII: The Force Awakens, we asked readers for their memories of Star Wars first time around.

The film was the first to play on both screens at Bournemouth’s Gaumont, now the Odeon. At the front of the queue for the 11am showing on day one, Darth Vader met Bertie, the man-sized wooden mascot of the Bournemouth Lottery.

Assistant manager Carl Pyatt told the Echo that it would show for a month on both screens and continue longer on just one.

“I think the film is absolutely tremendous,” he said.

Some have recalled the police being called to deal with the queues.

Keith Bartlett, now from Slades Farm, was a 30-year-old Wimborne postman when the film came out.

“I saw it two or three times. It was a big thing then. In those days, sci-fi films were few and far between, unlike today,” he said.

Keith Barlett

“I went in the afternoon of the first day it was on.

“There were quite a few there – but I remember coming out when people were coming in for the evening show. I had to fight my way through the crowds.”

Grant McGowan saw the film on a Saturday afternoon early in that first run.

“My father and I, an 11-year-old, eager and excited, stood in the line that snaked its way up the stairs to Gaumont One,” he said.

“I had visited the Gaumont on several occasions previously and was familiar with the beige colours in the foyer and the centrally placed ticket office. The air was heavy with the smell of hotdogs, popcorn and nicotine. This occasion would be something special. And for me it was.

“The Gaumont was packed – youngsters like myself free from school that weekend were about to embark on an adventure like no other.

“Sitting in the subdued light of screen one, the magnificent curtains parted to reveal the huge screen. The toe-tapping adverts of the time, followed by the previews only heightened my senses and expectations. The opening sequence exploded into a riot of sound and colour, only surpassed by the cheer from the youngsters.

“From then on we were all transported to another time and place. For the next two hours I was transfixed and blissfully lost.

“After the showing and outside, my eyes adjusting to the glare, I noticed my father smiling. I knew at that moment that he had enjoyed it as much as I had, and we talked about it on the way home in the cherry red Cortina.

“This was the start of a lifelong love of the film and its series. Two weeks later, of course, I would view the film again with my school friends.

“Star Wars was a product of the times – and needed to be. It was also something never experienced before.

“I am looking forward to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – but what will make it more personal for me, would be to view it at the now Odeon before those curtains close for the final time. The closure of the Westover Road cinemas is a crying shame to the people of Bournemouth.”

Dino Boni, who now lives in the US, saw Star Wars at the Gaumont on the first Friday, with best friend Darren Alot (previously Bartram), Dino’s mum and Darren’s parents. The friends both went to St Aldhelm’s in Branksome.

“Unknown to both my Mum and me, Darren had seen it the night before,” Dino said.

“We got to Westover Road and I remember it being busy and the only seats left were right at the front. As the movie started, Darren held his popcorn close to his chest with his hand holding the top of the kernels into the bucket, looking scared. I asked why, and he told me that when the space ship at the beginning flies over us on the screen, the rumbling of its engines caused his popcorn to jump out all over the place!

“I did the same, and my mum had this very confused look on her face as to why two little seven-year-old boys were hugging their popcorn tight and trembling with excitement.

“We went to see it every Saturday for the next few months, riding our bikes into Bournemouth from Winston Avenue.

“I am taking my seven-year-old daughter to see The Force Awakens the day after release.

“If anyone knows where Darren Alot/Bartram is now, I'd love to hear from him. I think he and his family moved to New Zealand sometime in the 1980s.”

Ed Hurren, 43, said: “I was one of the Star Wars first timers, living in Brackendale Road, Queens Park at the time, attending the Gaumont in February 1978 with my father (still going strong).

“We were totally gripped. We must have gone back four or five times every Saturday afternoon heading into spring '78!

“I remember the long snaking queue down Westover Road, up the alleyway, and back out onto Hinton Road, and the anticipation of getting in front of the big screen to watch it again and again!”

Andy Summers saw Star Wars on the afternoon of February 12, 1978, on Gaumont One.

”I also saw it a second time a week later with a group and a few more times some weeks after and some months after. Then, when it left, the public demanded it back, so I saw it again. It lasted all way into summertime.

“Even the band stand in Bournemouth gardens was playing the theme as I recall and you could hear it from Westover Road.

“The queue stopped about half-way around the back behind the large doors behind screen two and I could hear the film while standing with a group.”

Andy also saw The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi on their opening days, both on Gaumont Two.

Jon Smallwood, now a guard on Swanage Railway, had already seen the film – having made a pilgrimage to France.

“The first Star Wars film was widely advertised as being an amazing film,” he said.

John Smallwood in 1977

“Annoyingly it was going to come out in USA in May 1977, seven months before it was opening in UK. My friend John Kaye and I discussed whether we could afford to get to the USA. The answer was no, and, working for Barclays Bank at the time, I didn't have enough holiday anyway.

“Then, we discovered the film was opening in France in September, much closer and easier to get to. We could still be some of the first in the UK so see it. “In those days there was no YouTube so we really had little idea of what to expect other than it was likely to be ground-breaking in terms of special effects.

“Looking back on it, we took a few risks. No advance tickets and nowhere to spend the night! John had an Austin 1100. We found out when the film was on, and added a week to allow the crowds to die down. “On a Thursday, we drove from Gloucester down to Dover early morning for the ferry to Calais. We drove straight down to Paris. That was scary as John was on a motorway driving on the right for the first time. We parked in the northern suburb of St Denis, took the Metro to the Champs Elysees, bought tickets with school boy French. ‘Avez vous deux billets pour Les Guerres Des les Etoils?’ and yes, they did!

“We loved the film even though it was dubbed into French. No subtitles though – and why should there have been? We didn't understand a word, and didn't understand the story at all but the special effects were brilliant so we didn't care!

“Then back on the Metro, slept in the car overnight then straight back to UK.

“Annoyingly, no-one really believed we went. We never thought to take any pictures.

“A few months later, we saw the film in UK and understood the story at last.”

Paul Harrington saw Star Wars and its sequels at the Gaumont. “I recall that I knew the story before I saw it in the cinema because I had a comic book with the whole film in it. I had lots of figures too – and eventually a Millennium Falcon,” he said.

He and his cousins entered the Ringwood and Bournemouth carnivals as the cast of Star Wars, with astonishingly good costumes and a replica of Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder.

“My Dad, my uncle and their neighbours built the landspeeder. The mums/aunties were responsible for the costumes,” said Paul, who was dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi.

“I remember that I had a bit of grey carpet for a beard.

“The land speeder was built on an old trailer featuring the front grille from my dad’s Vauxhall Viva – it even had lights under it for the night procession.

“I think the lightsabers were from the toy shop in Ringwood called Streets – I expect many Echo readers will remember it, particularly at Christmas time.

“They entered Ringwood carnival pretty much every year in the late 70s but this was much favourite by a long shot. I think we won first prize and the mayor or somebody asked us if we'd like to enter Bournemouth Carnival too!

“I have a 10-year-old son – a big Star Wars fan – who was gobsmacked when I showed him the pictures. I never imagined I'd get to see a new Star Wars film with him so we are very excited.”

Andy Storey saw the first film when a re-issue reached Poole Arts Centre and saw the sequels there too.

“My granddad took me to all three original films at the Poole Arts Centre. “Despite my incredible excitement about seeing them, incredibly he managed to fall asleep in all three films. As a kid I always thought he had the best job anyway – working in the drawing office at BAE at Hurn Airport – so maybe Star Wars was a bit of a let down in comparison to designing aircraft in real life.”

Gareth Owens, 39, from Muscliff, only became old enough to see the films with the release of Return of the Jedi in 1983.

“Virtually all of my memories from childhood revolve around Star Wars in one way or another,” he said.

“My overriding memories would be: “Watching in despair from the beach as the tide swiftly came in and dragged a number of my figures out to sea – this first happened in the Gower and then about a year later (when you fancy I may have learned from this ordeal) in Lanzarote.

“And my friend Mark having the cardboard Death Star play set. After a good 30 years of asking virtually every chap in my age group that I have met, I am still to find anyone else who owned that particular piece of crumpet.

“Another memory of Star Wars is of having a pirated copy of Return of the Jedi on Betamax not long after it came out in the cinema here.

“I used to have loads of my friends around to watch it all the time until – and this is yet another tragic story – I lent it to my friend Chris Light, whose father 'accidentally' taped Crazy Like a Fox it! I have yet to forgive the man.”

Rachel McMillan, Christchurch, was born in the year of Star Wars, 1977, and became a fan as she grew up.

“I saw the films in the wrong order – obviously my parents’ fault!” she said.

“I made my mum do the Princess Leia hairstyle for school so that I could play Star Wars with the boys.

“I was very excited to see the original films at the cinema when they were rereleased re-mastered.

“Not got my daughter into them yet and she raises her eyebrows at me at this time of year as every empty wrapping paper roll becomes a makeshift lightsaber.”