HOLLYWOOD came to Lurgashall when rom com Hampstead, starring Diane Keaton and Brendan Gleeson, premiered in the village hall on the same night it was released in 400 cinemas across the UK.

The film’s producer Douglas Rae (pictured) lives in Lurgashall and kindly allowed his village hall to show the film at the same time as it went out on general release.

A former presenter of 1970s children’s TV show Magpie, Mr Rae is now a key figure in the British film and television industry.

His previous films include box office hits Mrs Brown, My Boy Jack and A Royal Night Out.

The Hampstead premiere was enjoyed by a capacity audience of 70 residents , who were also treated to a glass of ‘fizz’ and canapes before going in to the hall on a red carpet specially bought for the occasion.

Mr Rae introduced the film, and then hosted a lively question and answer session afterwards.

He also gave a fascinating insight into what it takes to get a big star, in this case Diane Keaton, to come to work in London.

Lurgashall Village Hall boasts a first-class audio/visual system, on which feature films are shown on the first Wednesday of each month.