Leighton Buzzard film fanatic earns special cinema loyalty award
Leighton Buzzard film fan Simon Walker, was presented with an ‘OG Member’ award at the inaugural Odeon Extras awards in London.
The awards on May 1 were hosted by comedian Luke Hamnett and recognised seven winners for their passion for film and loyalty to their local Odeon cinema.
Simon, a 49-year-old dad of two, was one of the first members of Odeon’s free loyalty scheme and has been one of the most dedicated members of the club watching hundreds of movies since joining in 2001.
Attending the awards with his daughter, Ava, Simon said: “I remember going to see ET way back in 1982 and just being mesmerised with everything about cinema. Ever since then it’s been a huge part of my life.
“We love going as a family, in fact one of my fondest memories was a trip to see Despicable Me when Ava was young, I think that’s when I realised she was going to love cinema as much as me.
“The best movie I’ve seen recently was Wicked. I love an occasional musical and this one was particularly special because it was filmed near where we live and we could recognise some of the locations.
“The Star Wars franchise is another of my favourites. Aside from the first three movies, I’ve been to the first showing on release day for them all.”
A spokesperson for Odeon said: “We are so grateful to all our loyal members, many of whom have been with us for years, for helping us build a vibrant community of passionate film fans. We were delighted to be able to recognise them and hear about their most memorable cinema experiences.”