That Eric Alper

As an increasing number of people begin to pivot away from stagnating cinemas, opting to view at home on their often higher quality televisions, and through streaming services. The movie-going experience is having to pivot into an event like it used to be when first introduced, something more than simply going to watch a film and paying over the odds for popcorn and a soft drink.

Here are some examples of cinemas around the UK, each with their own unique, attractive features and designs that help to separate them from the average screening.

The BFI London IMAX

Owned by the British Film Institute, the London IMAX Is the biggest cinema screen in the country, and certainly one to keep in mind for booking the biggest blockbusters of the year. Situated in the heart of the capital city, it’s an extremely popular destination for watching films in the highest possible quality, and features the proprietary film projection that you just can’t experience at home. Many cinemas throughout the country have adopted the IMAX moniker with a lower quality, digital version, and so if wanting the most authentic version it’s important to do your research on the cinema you’re going to.

F.A.C.T Liverpool

Liverpool’s F.A.C.T Picture House cinema is a great one to go to if wanting something a little different from your traditional cinema experience. Embedded within a modern art gallery and museum, there’s always a unique exhibition on worth visiting in addition to the film, and they also run Q&A sessions and more with directors and cast members. Most recently, Yesterday director Danny Boyle visited the cinema to introduce his Beatles-centric summer hit.

Liverpool’s cinema scene is extremely popular, and its multiple theatres seem to encompass every different type of movie going experience. The city has the Woolton Picture House, opened in 1927 and one of the oldest in the country, the Everyman cinema in the Metquarter, offering a traditional yet modern vibe with luxury screens and a cocktail bar, and even the Odeon IMAX in Liverpool ONE, offering the standard experience with a massive HD screen for your superhero flick.

Additionally, in popular student cities across the UK such as Liverpool, cinema areas and rooms are a growing communal trend in apartment buildings and student accommodation. Property investment companies such as RWinvest offer cinema-quality screening rooms as part of the features in their purpose-built student builds, and they are extremely popular among students.

Cinemas around the country also usually give students exclusive offers and membership perks. The E4 Slackers club is a great scheme to get involved in if you’re a student, as it allows you to see films for free, and often even before they have been released to the general public.

The Electric Birmingham

Hailed as the ‘oldest working cinema’ in the UK, the Electric in Birmingham has been heavily renovated since its original opening in 1909, but still offers a unique and quirky experience for filmgoers. With leather sofas available at the back of the venue, you can even get a waiter service to deliver food and drinks as the movie plays. That does sound a little distracting, however.

Windscreens, or windshields as they are called in most of North America, have been around as long as cars themselves. Originally, car windscreens were made from just the same sort of glass as early 20^th century motorists had in their car windows. Over the years, the design of windscreens has changed considerably, and now toughened safety glass is used as standard. The windscreen is one of the most important aspects of the MOT checks as the inspector has to be absolutely sure that you can see through it properly. There are however plenty of things which drivers regularly do which could lead to a MOT failure.

Tinted Windscreen

They were all the rage in the 80s, and some drivers still like the look of heavily tinted windows. Tinted windows aren’t illegal, but there are restrictions on the level of tinting allowed on the windscreen, and the front windows on both sides. The law states that for the windscreen and front windows, at least 70% of light must be able to pass through the windows. Any level of tinted film added to the window is going to take your windows under that 70% limit. If you are stopped by the police, you will probably be given a vehicle defect notice. This isn’t a fine or points on your licence, it’s just an instruction to fix your windows by pulling off the film as soon as possible. Similarly, a mechanic will not be able to pass your vehicle if there are tinted films on the window.

Cracks and Chips

Stone chips and cracks in the windscreen are often unavoidable, as they’re thrown up off the road by the traffic in front as you are driving along. The exact location of the chip or crack in your windscreen will determine whether the car passes the MOT or not. The testing guidelines state that there can be no chips or cracks larger than 10mm in the direct line of vision of the driver, or 40mm elsewhere on the windscreen. The problem with stone chips and cracks is that they can get much bigger, very quickly. This is especially an issue in cold weather due to water expansion when it freezes. The good news is that chips and small cracks can usually be repaired rather than replacing the entire sheet of glass. Many insurance policies will cover the cost of chip repair in the windscreen. If not, expect to pay around £200 for someone to come to you and repair the chip. If you need a whole new windscreen, the cost will depend very much on the make and model of your car.

Stickers and Obstructions

Vehicles have also been known to fail their MOT because there are just too many stickers and other items on the windscreen. This is particularly a problem with satellite navigation equipment which fixes onto the windscreen with a suction cup, or other technology like dash cams. Drivers are allowed to use this sort of tech in their cars, as long as the units are positioned in a way so that the view is not obstructed. If you are using a satnav, then get rid of any stickers and other objects before taking your car in for the MOT. If you need a parking permit or other type of sticker for work, then use the spot at the bottom left of the windscreen, where the old-style tax disc used to go. That’s the spot which will cause least obstruction to your view when driving. If you can’t bear to part with your car stickers, use them on the rear windscreen rather than at the front.

Washers and Fluid

During the MOT the mechanic will also check to make sure that your windscreen washers are working properly. This means turning the engine on and testing the jets to make sure that fluid comes out onto the glass. The MOT doesn’t stipulate what type of liquid you should be using in the windscreen wash reservoir. Plain water will do the job, but freezes readily during the winter months, and isn’t great at removing grease and dirt from the glass either. A budget-busting tip is often to add washing up liquid or other domestic cleaning products, but this isn’t great advice either. All of the large supermarkets and car superstores will sell a range of windscreen wash fluids. There’s no need to buy the top of the range, a mid-market fluid will work just as well. For winter motoring, try to choose a windscreen wash which will stay liquid to low temperatures. If your jets are faulty or blocked, get them seen to before the MOT date.

Before you take your car to the garage for its MOT, check the levels of windscreen wash in the reservoir. It doesn’t have to be full to the brim, but should be around half full. It’s best to get into the habit of topping up your windscreen wash on a weekly basis. Look also at the condition of the wiper blades. They should remove the water clearly and efficiently from the windscreen. If the blades leave smears, or stick as blades move, it’s probably time to get them replaced. This isn’t a big job, and a new set of wiper blades can cost as little as £20.

Getting Problems Fixed

If you have identified problems with your windscreen before the MOT, this gives you the opportunity to put things right first. If you know you need work done, you can take your time finding the best price for the job rather than being forced into making a decision on the spot when you get that call saying your car has failed the MOT. If your car does fail, then have the repair done and then put the car back through a partial re-test. This is cheaper than another full test, and will just look at the items which failed the first time. Take advice from your mechanic if you are not sure whether your windscreen is up to scratch.