A FORMER Largs projectionist has backed ambitious plans for a new cinema in Largs.

Willie McIntyre screened films at Barrfields Theatre in Largs during the late 1990s and early 2000s, including much loved classics such as Titanic, Moulin Rogue and Saving Private Ryan,

After the cinema closed at Barrfields, Willie carried on working with North Ayrshire Leisure as projectionist at the Saltcoats cinema for a few years and is still very passionate about the flicks.

We told how St John's Church have ambitious plans to create a cinema within a newly refurbished Dunn Memorial Hall, which would be free for the public to use - and Willie says he is excited by the idea.

Willie, 74, said: "I am all for it, I think it is a brilliant idea.

"I would certainly be happy to give advice. I thought I had retired but I am always happy to help out!

"I have happy memories of Barrfields and was sorry to see it close.

"I have always been interested in that sort of thing as my dad used to show films in the village hall in the Isle of Jura. He said I have film cement in my veins as I used to splice clips together."

Willie says: "At Vinkingar! had a seating capacity of 500 at Barrfields at that time, and I remember some films were so popular that we had to turn people away. "I had to lace up the projector and the film arrived in boxes and you spliced various reels together - but it is all change and nowadays it is all digital.

"Sometimes things went wrong and machines broke down and you would just have to cope and find a solution very quickly.

"Nowadays with multiplex cinemas, it is all controlled in one room and you don't need half as many projectionists and staff as you used to.

"I love the idea of bringing a film house back to the town."

The venture to bring the cinema back to Largs has been launched by Reverend Jonathan Fleming.

He says blockbusters and classic films would both feature on screen as part of the ambitious plan for the upgrading of the Dunn, which has been in use since the 1930s.

A major fundraising campaign has been launched to refurbish the hall, and as part of the strategy, plans drawn up to create the new facility.

Rev. Fleming recently told the News: "It could be an excellent venue for movies."