EAST Oxford’s Ultimate Picture Palace has hailed a fundraising bid for new seats a success.

Some Like it Soft, a campaign run by the Cowley Road cinema to raise funds for new seats, has raised £9,431 – more than 50 per cent beyond its target of £6,000.

A total of 230 people pledged support during the campaign, ensuring the Jeune Street cinema will install new, comfortable seats in 2014.

Cinema owner Becky Hallsmith is “over the moon” about the seats, which will be custom-made in the style of art deco theatre seats.

“They will be much more comfortable, velvety in theatre red, and most importantly not falling apart,” she added.

The seats appeal was run on the Kickstarter crowdfunding website. In return for pledges, people could choose from treats like being a projectionist for a day and helping to choose a season of classic films to be shown at the cinema next year.

St Clement’s councillor Bev Clack wants the ‘nobody’s perfect’ quote that ends the 1959 US comedy Some Like It Hot on the seat she sponsored.