OUTDOOR CINEMA FUN WITH KIDS!

The other day a email arrived into my inbox inviting us to reserve tickets to West Quay's outdoor cinema. We jumped at the chance at taking the kids to see Finding Dory on the final night. Now i'll make it clear right now that we were gifted free tickets for the showing but we paid for everything else and there was no obligation to write this post. We had such a great time that I just had to write about it.

Now, as parents it wasn't plain sailing and easy at all. Brad missed the first half of the film and I missed the second half due to an overtired, teething little miss but that didn't take away from the experience.

We arrived an hour before the film and got our stamps, wristbands, headphones and were taken to our seats right on the front row.
The seats are deck chairs so it's super relaxing and laid back. You're allowed to go and get food too which was exactly what we wanted. Brad headed up to McDonalds as a cheeky treat and we relaxed on deck chairs and at McDonalds. Lucas had some chips and Iris ate a cheese sandwich.

Being there early meant that there was waiting around and I was a little worried about Lucas and how bored he'd get. I was wrong. The movie is played via the screen and sound is through wireless headphones as this stops people not paying for the film and sitting around the edge on the barriers but before the movie there was music playing sponsored by Magic. Some other children got up and started dancing and Lucas just looked at me and said "Mummy, I go dance please?" He chucked his shoes off at me and went up and started dancing with the other kids. They all had shoes off and every time a child would put their headphones on Lucas would grab his from me. He was learning and copying off the older kids. He even attempted to get in a picture a Mum was taking of her little girls.
It was so nice to see him socialising it really was. He also cracked out some pretty incredible dance moves.

Iris crawled around the floor too and it was all so clean, there was a rogue cigarette butt that must have blown under the barrier that Iris thought was about to become her pre-show snack. I took it to the security guard to put in a bin as I couldn't see one and he was horrified and apologised profusely.

Just before the film started I darted and grabbed some popcorn. It was slightly pricey at £4 per cup BUT that being said it was absolutely delicious, probably the best popcorn I'd ever eaten - I'm usually a salted popcorn lover too.
There's lots to buy depending on where you're watching the film. In some of their venues hot and cold food is available to buy too.

At the West Quay one it included an alcohol bar, which sold soft drinks too, I was eyeing up a Strawberry Dacquiri but reminded myself I was at a kids showing and there was ice-cream, sweets and popcorn and you could even buy a blanket which we discovered we should have bought towards the end of the film where Brad got chilly.

The film started and the headphones came on. They were really comfortable actually. Lucas did struggle a little with his and found them a little uncomfortable at times and had to take them off for a break, he wasn't overly fussed and watched the film in mute for a while. I have to note that not all outdoor cinema experiences with The Nomad Cinema include headphones so i'd chose one without next time.

I also have to throw in that the security were incredible. There was an occasion that a couple kept letting their toddler climb under the barrier and run around and security came over and quickly and quietly asked them to remove the child.
Then there were 3 young "lads" who decided it would be funny to keep running under the barriers, riding past on bikes yelling "WOAHHHHHH" to try to distract everyone and kept swinging their arms in security's faces, trashing the portaloos and just being little poo bags. (to be polite)
If I hadn't been sat right at the front and stressing over my unsettled Daughter I don't think it was too obvious to others what was going on as they moved the boys away from the area. I only knew about the loos as I had headed over to go to the loo and had a little word with them. Anyway, the point of that is the security staff deserve medals and were a credit to the cinema. I felt safe and they we're on the ball.

The Nomad Cinema make 0 profit at all. They donate 100% of their profits to the Sustainability institute. I thought that was incredible and I believe most of their staff are volunteers too.

Overall even with a grumpy baby the experience was lovely and I'd love to go back for date night in the future. Sadly the West Quay one has ended now but they do so many different films in different locations. I mean they even do an outdoor cinema in Brompton Cemetery with a relevant film for the location. My Mum would literally love that and so would I. A horror film, alcohol in a cemetery sounds amazing.

Thank you The Nomad Cinema for the evening and for being so awesome.