Inevitably, the opening of Trowbridge’s new cinema today has caused a certain amount of reminiscing in the town, not just about cinemas of the past but about other now-vanished landmarks and institutions.

Not everyone I’ve talked to sees new building in Trowbridge as a bad thing and there are some who admire the steel and glass modernity of the town’s new addition. Not having had sight of the new complex yet from the inside, I can’t comment on its aesthetic beauty or otherwise but, to be honest, I’m not expecting much in terms of architectural merit. I am hoping for more practical benefits: please let there be a turning circle, or set down area, in St Stephen’s Place, so those of us who will be taxi-ing people to films can pick them up again easily, late at night.

And I’d love it if the plaza area does not become a modern wasteland of horrid steelmesh benches and windblown leaves and litter and will be very grateful if the management of the cinema and all the new restaurants make sure they provide sufficient litterbins for cast-aside popcorn boxes, takeaway coffee cups, etc. What else would I like? What about programming films so that we could see some of this year’s earlier blockbusters on the big screen before they come out on DVD?

A reasonably-priced Saturday or Sunday morning film club for kids would be another good idea.

I do like the thought of having a cinema right in the town centre, rather than having to take a trip to an out-of-town “leisure park”. In the same way that people living in town centres has become popular once again, maybe going out here could come back into fashion, too.