I really like going to the cinema. I’m not a film buff and if you asked me who directed, or even who starred in a film I had just seen, I wouldn’t be able to answer. I’m not into the cinema for the celebrities. I’m into it for the story and the visuals.

Recently a new cinema has opened on my doorstep. The East Dulwich Picturehouse is a great addition to my life. It has three screens, a cafe and shows films I want to see.
I am a freelance author which means if I knuckle down and work flat out in the morning, I can justify going to the cinema in the afternoon.

While the East Dulwich Picturehouse was being built, the owners encouraged people to become founding members. This meant joining the cinema before it had opened as a way of raising some funds. In return, founding members have their name on a board inside.

Can you find me?

Sometimes I go on my own and sometimes I arrange to meet a friend. This week I went to see ‘The Big Short’ (Certificate 15) with Rosie. It was a great movie. A lesson in how to tell a story about a subject, the financial crash, that could have been dry and boring.

• Focus on a few characters and their personal story.
• Make them vulnerable in some way while the other characters are portrayed as odious, greedy or ignorant.
• Use trashy interludes to explain the technical terms and make it clear to the audience that you know they are trashy.

Trust me it works.