THE summer washout may have dampened the spirits of holidaymakers, but it was good news for cinemas.

More of us went to the pictures this summer than at any time in the last 40 years, according to new figures from trade body, the Film Distributors' Association.

There were 50.8 million visits to UK cinemas in the three months from June to August this year.

That's 26 per cent up on the same quarter last year and a whopping 44 per cent up on 2000.

That it was the wettest summer since records began is thought to have contributed to so many Britons flocking to the cinema that the 12 big blockbusters rang up a massive £305 million at the UK box office. Ten million of us went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

"We had our busiest day ever one Tuesday in the summer holiday when it rained all day - 6,500 people came through the doors that day. It was mad," says Julia Cottell, duty manager at Empire Tower Park.

"But the quality and selection of films was so much better this year.

"We were already expecting to be busier this summer because we knew the films were better, but that combined with the weather made this the busiest summer I've known in my eight years here - luckily we didn't run out of anything!"

The last weekend in July, when The Simpsons Movie was launched, was among the most popular two days for the cinema recorded in the UK, with 5.5 million admissions.

"The thing is, Hollywood has turned out some classic blockbusters this year and they're so well marketed by the distributors now," says Spencer Clark, manager of Bournemouth's Odeon and ABC Cinemas.

"It's giving the people what they want and there was a new blockbuster opening every week, one after the other.

"When we saw the summer line-up, I was doing a rain dance praying for a wet summer as I knew we'd be busy. I certainly got what I asked for - so all that rain may have been my fault!"

Now, industry insiders are predicting a bumper year for the movies.

"These are sensational figures, unprecedented in modern times," says FDA chief executive Mark Batey.

"The first eight months of 2007 have seen 116.5 million admissions - more than took place in the whole of 1995 - while the autumn line-up, including Ratatouille, Stardust, Lions For Lambs, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Kingdom, The Kite Runner and The Golden Compass, looks powerful and varied enough to make this an absolutely barnstorming year at the movies."