Now that Netflix (the on-line on-demand movie network) is here and large-screen televisions are ubiquitous, the need to “go to the movies” in the traditional sense is greatly diminished. Indeed even the desire to do so is pretty much quelled. Yet when the occasion arises to attend a movie at the Old Town Hall in support of a local charity, the opportunity is both an adventure and a worthy outing. As it turned out the planning couldn’t have been better as today was a brilliantly sunny, warm day, really the first we’ve had so far this Spring. We seized the chance to walk from our apartment to the Old Town Hall, a modest stretch of about one mile along Bridge Street.
When we first organized the affair we collaborated with our dear friend JCH who dutifully met us as arranged in front of the Old Town Hall. She had arrived earlier and was sitting on the large millstone bench overlooking the burgeoning waters of the Mississippi River as it rushed to the upper falls. Together we strode up the broad entrance steps into the building, then climbed the historic creaking stairs with the massive timber handrails to the upper chamber where the concerts, political meetings and movies are held. The venue is known for its acoustics and the woodwork alone is a marvel to behold.
The movie – “Pride” (about gay and lesbian support for striking mine workers in England in the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher’s government) – was a BBC production which combined intrigue, comedy, catharsis and sentimentality and thus contributed to a thoroughly pleasant experience. The smallish audience respectfully clapped at the ending before dissipating into the late afternoon sunshine and warmth.
We too decided to extend the delight of our cinematic excursion by strolling along the Riverwalk beside the roaring water falls to the riparian deck of the Barley Mow Restaurant. There, after a brief wait and chat with a prospective Almonte newcomer and her son and his little dog, we eventually landed a comfortable corner table. While our refreshment was nothing more glamorous than some beer and Perrier, the pleasure of being out-of-doors on this magnificent day was unparalleled. Our companion succeeded as always to keep the conversation swift and enlivened, punctuated as always by uproariously funny sketches of past experiences.