Friday proved to be an important day in the Swindon calendar with the return of a favourite town location.

The cinema at Greenbridge Retail & Leisure Park has stood for many years entertaining residents with movies, popcorn and more.

Yet this all came to a halt in July when Empire Cinemas suddenly announced that the Swindon location would be permanently closing.

Leaving two cinemas in the town at Regent Circus and Shaw Ridge, many wondered what would become of the beloved building at Greenbridge.

Swindon Advertiser: The new Vue cinema opened on Friday.The new Vue cinema opened on Friday. (Image: Newsquest)

Vue answered these fears by announcing that they would take over the cinema in October before officially opening on Friday.

With the return of my favourite cinema in the town, I thought what better way to celebrate than to attend an opening night screening.

My flatmate Julian and I love going to the pictures but it was hard to know what film was best to mark the occasion with so many choices available.

With new movies like Wonka and Saltburn, we almost had our heads turned but in the end, we decided to play it old school with the ultimate Christmas classic.

Swindon Advertiser: Die Hard was the choice of the film.Die Hard was the choice of the film.

No, I’m not talking about Home Alone, although incidentally, it was playing that day, but rather I was referring to Die Hard.

Arriving at Vue we grabbed snacks and had a quick look around the grand foyer which appeared largely unchanged since the summer.

Polite staff ushered us to Screen 5, we took our seats in the auditorium which was largely similar to the former Empire and waited for the film to start.

The 1988 action blockbuster starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman was even better on the big screen with every iconic moment that bit more exciting.

Swindon Advertiser: The interior of the cinema is largely unchanged from the summer.The interior of the cinema is largely unchanged from the summer. (Image: Newsquest)

Julian and I were not alone in our choice as other Swindonians arrived to see that classic tale of the heist at the Nakatomi Plaza building.

We laughed, we cheered and we all had a great time which was a stark reminder of just how important the cinema remains today despite the rise of streaming services.

Yes, the ease and endless choice is an attractive option to have but nothing quite compares to the lights dimming and the big screen illuminating in front of your eyes.

The magic is well and truly back at Greenbridge with the arrival of Vue and the return of a cinema at the retail and leisure location. Yippee-Ki-Yay.