I say old bean, tighten my stays, pass my pearls and inform the chauffeur that I need to hot-foot it to Christchurch to see the latest talking picture.
Yes, rejoice Downton Abbey fans – the avidly anticipated sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era will stroll elegantly onto the silver screen at the Regent Centre on its national release date: Friday, 29 April.
Penned by Academy Award-winner, Julian Fellowes, the new film sees the aristocratic Crawleys embark on a grand tour to the South of France to uncover – with shades of Agatha Christie – the mystery of the dowager countess’s newly inherited villa.
All the favourites are on board, including Dame Maggie Smith (Countess of Grantham), Hugh Bonneville (Earl of Grantham) and Jim Carter (Mr Bates), with new additions Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye and Dominic West.
Aware of accusations of cheesiness (which, by the way, have zero impact on Downton fans), Fellowes is unapologetic, telling People magazine “It’s an unashamedly feel-good movie. I like the idea that people go into the movie and have a great two hours and then go out to have dinner. That seems to me to be a good thing. If we are useful for cheering people up and giving them an easy time of it, that doesn’t bother me.”
The Regent Centre bagged the award for No.1 cinema in the UK for sales of the first Downton Abbey film, staging an unprecedented 52 screenings and welcoming more than 12,700 cinemagoers to make it the bestselling film in the theatre’s 90-year history.
They also received a personal thank-you from Universal Studios and were mentioned in despatches at their Hollywood HQ!
No doubt Downton devotees will come in their droves for what’s guaranteed to be two hours of fun, finery and first-class escapism! This year, 58 screenings will run up until Thursday, 19 May.
Tickets are £7.50/£7 concs from 01202 499199, www.regentcentre.co.uk.

by Lorraine Gibson