Films: Maya the Bee: The Honey Games (2018), Un flic (2019; original release: 1972)
Screens: 1 Ticket Price: 6.50€
We'd never been to Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise until the day we visited the cinema there, and although it's probably the nearest permanent cinema to "our" village (meaning: the one we've holidayed in for the past four summers), it's still a good 40 minutes or so away by car. Such a journey would have been a bit prohibitive had it been just for the sake of a single film but was fine when, as in our instance, a cinema trip could be part of a longer afternoon out which also included a walk around the funfair, a productive (if expensive) visit to an excellent newsagent, and a well-earned menthe à l'eau at a very pleasant café. Saint-Pol is quite compact and it doesn't take long to get around the centre on foot; parking is also surprisingly straightforward -- there's a handy free car park (restricted on Mondays, when the market comes to town) by the town hall, which is just a stone's throw from the cinema.
The Regency itself has its small entrance located in the side of a much bigger building, but the film posters outside make it an easy place to spot. This modest opening gives way to a welcoming foyer featuring some interesting pictures, which you can have a look at before approaching the ticket/popcorn counter. The auditorium itself is very comfortable and quite grand, with the rather utilitarian exterior of the Regency providing no hint of the relatively palatial space that's housed within.
The lone member of staff on duty was very pleasant, and the ticket and snack prices were quite reasonable. They could probably charge a bit more, seeing as they're not just the only show in town, but rather the only show for countless towns around. That said, from reading the local paper and flicking through some magazines in the foyer, it is obvious that the Regency takes a great deal of pride in playing a big part in community life, with numerous schools screenings and other special events peppering their calendar. The team here clearly work very hard at bringing a great range of films to Saint-Pol, and at the time of our visit a season of classic musicals -- all in VO -- was in progress. The cinema has also been known to attract the odd megastar -- the aforementioned pictures on the foyer wall providing evidence of a recent visit from none other than Dany Boon, and in a couple of weeks or so the legendary Michel Ocelot will be there to introduce his latest (and no doubt wondrous) slice of animation.
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