The Melton family with an 85-year link to the town cinema
Lesley Parker (65) is the cleaner at The Regal but she has done many other jobs over the 35 years she’s been employed there.
Remarkably, her late mum, Pamela Felstead, previously served ice creams and worked as an usherette at the King Street picture house for almost 50 years.
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Hide AdOwners Jacob and Bryony Mundin today (Tuesday) surprised Lesley by presenting her with flowers and a bottle of fizz to thank her for all she has done over the years.
Lesley told the Melton Times: “This is an amazing place to work in.
“They are all like family. I love it here. It’s like my second home.
“I am hoping to continue working here as long as I can although I am struggling with my knee at the moment.”
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Hide AdThe family’s connection with The Regal began back in the 1950s when Pamela was taken on – this was a time when a second cinema, called The Plaza, operated next door, such was the popularity of a night at the movies.
Lesley said: “I used to come down here as a kid and the Scarborough family, who owned it then, used to feed me.
"I would help mum and dad also worked here as a projectionist for a time.”
She was 19 when the then owners, John and Jan Calvert, gave her a job at The Regal.
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Hide AdLesley, who is married to Mick and has sons Gavin and Nathan, also worked for previous owners John and Carol Merryweather before the Mundins took over in 2012.
She added: “I usually have a few brochures from The Regal in my handbag because people are always asking what’s showing at the cinema.”
The Mundins clearly love working with Lesley. Jacob commented: “If you look at our ratings on Tripadvisor, they all say ‘the place is amazingly clean’, nothing about the great films we show.
"Lesley is very popular and she does a great job for us.”
To celebrate National Cinema Day this weekend, The Regal is screening four classic movies on Saturday - Puss In Boots: The Last Wish; Spiderman: Across The Spider-Verse; Back To The Future; and Top Gun Maverick.
Click HERE to book tickets, which all cost only £3.