IT WAS almost a sell-out screening at yesterday’s showing of The Great Gatsby, the second in a series of films being shown to celebrate this year’s Oxford Mail Senior Citizens Film Festival.

Now in it’s eighth year, the Phoenix Picturehouse cinema, in Walton Street, Jericho, is once again hosting the much-loved annual event, and audiences turned up from far and wide.

Angela Lock, 63, and Dawn Taylor, 66, travelled from Forest Hill to enjoy the performance.

Dawn said: “I think this festival is absolutely great. And by coming here, I’m teaching Angela how to be retired.”

Co-sponsors of the event, Sainsbury’s in Kidlington and the Westgate centre, added to the festive buzz by donating prizes of champagne, chocolates and gift vouchers.

Said Christine Norburn, community ambassador for the supermarket: “The atmosphere is always infectious and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

According to Jeremy Smith, features editor of the Oxford Mail: “Yesterday’s showing of The Great Gatsby was terrific fun and that’s always because our audiences are so high-spirited and, dare I say it, very good-looking.”

Today, the last day of the festival, will see the screening of Les Miserables and as always, it starts at 11am.

  • For more information, call Jeremy Smith on 01865 425435 or the Phoenix Picturehouse on 0871 902 5736.

Tickets cannot be booked in advance. Entry is with a copy of that day’s Oxford Mail price 65p (we’ll have plenty on sale in the foyer).