ROLLER-skating waiters and waitresses delivering hot dogs, burgers, cold drinks, sweets and popcorn, plus 11 fantastic feature films - what more could you want from a drive-in movie theatre?

Residents of Trowbridge and beyond have been treated to an American experience by Cinema Retrow over three days from Friday to Sunday.

Families flocking to take advantage of the big screen experience on Saturday included local postman Cesar Mosquera and his friend Sam Wilkie, together with their children Molly Mosquera and Alma-Ayre and Thula Wilkie.

The pair had come in two cars to enjoy the 1994 Disney classic Lion King on a supersized 60 square metre LED screen, with sound broadcast via hi-tech in-car speakers which are handed to patrons as they enter the cinema on the Innox Mills site next to Trowbridge Railway Station.

Films screened included family favourites The Lion King, How to Train Your Dragon and Moana, plus retro classics Back to the Future, Grease and Dirty Dancing, and recent hits such as Rocketman, Joker and Knives Out, starring Daniel Craig as a Texan detective with a decidedly dodgy American accent.

Innox Mills director Jonathan Dean was delighted with the positive reception and feedback from the cinema audiences.

He said: “Drive-in cinemas are popping up around the country this summer and their popularity shows that people want to take part in big events, but are concerned about social distancing, so watching great films on the big screen from the comfort and safety of your own car is really appealing.

“Cinema Retrow is a taster of things to come at Innox Mills and we hope to eventually open a permanent, independent cinema here.

“We want to create a vibrant new quarter that will encourage people to spend the day in Trowbridge and help show off the town as a great place to live, work and visit.”

Cinema Retrow is a completely contactless event, with tickets bought online, cars checked in via number plate recognition, well spaced parking bays, food and drink pre-ordered online or via a smartphone app, delivered to your car by roller-skating waiters and waitresses.

Guests can pre-order food and drink from local producers, including freshly cooked hot dogs, mega movie burgers and vegan wraps from Trowbridge's award-winning street food business JC’s Kitchen, hand-made ice-cream from Lacock Dairy, craft beer from Kettlesmith in Bradford on Avon and giant Retrow sweet bags by Sweet Sensations, founded by 17 year-old Trowbridge student Georgia Smith.

Cinema Retrow is supported by a number of local and West Country businesses including EweMove estate agents in Trowbridge and Bradford on Avon, WebCreationUK, Hills Waste Solutions, Most Wanted Wines and Platinum Motor Group.

Cinema Retrow's charity partner Wiltshire Air Ambulance is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and all of the charity's pilots and paramedics have been given free tickets to the event as a thank you for their life-saving work.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance Fundraising Manager Des Regan said: "We’re very grateful that Cinema Retrow has chosen to support the lifesaving work of Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

"The drive-in events at Innox Mills in Trowbridge will be a brilliant opportunity for people to go out and enjoy the cinema again at a safe social distance.

"I’m sure it will prove extremely popular with the people of Wiltshire.”

Future plans for the Innox Mills site include building 300 new homes and converting the old mill buildings into an indoor food and drink market, co-working space hub and independent cinema.

A planning application is due to be put forward in the coming months.

Tickets are still available for the three shows today, which feature The Greatest Showman at 1.30pm, the 1987 classic Dirty Dancing at 5.15pm with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, and Taron Egerton in the 2019 Sir Elton John bio-pic Rocketman at 8.30pm.

To book drive-in cinema tickets for today or for more information see www.cinema-retrow.co.uk and follow @Innox Mills on Facebook and Instagram.

Have you been to Cinema Retrow this weekend? To add your comments to this story, call John Baker on 07955 013319.