We chose to analyse the Express and Echo extract entitled ‘Mayor of Exeter’s Welcome to “The Boys”.’ Within this article civic pride and community are strong themes which are conveyed through the discussion of important figures present and the giving of thanks with this rewarding experience.

Wartime cinema-going did not serve a singular purpose, instead it offered a variety of functions. For example, during bombing raids in the war, the cinema was used as a safe haven that people would flock to for security and sanctuary. As the website Exeter Memories reveals, the local Odeon picture house was originally built with 1920 seats, including stalls and circles. This demonstrates the size of the building itself and how the local community could feel protected from the destruction in the streets. The Odeon was not only used for screening films but also used as a space to host talent shows during intervals. These had the purpose of entertaining wounded service men free of charge on certain nights of the week.

Within this article extract, the reporter gives a very detailed account of people attending:

‘The Deputy Mayor and Mrs. R. J. Rew, Mr. A. C. Reed, M.P., Mr. F. P. Cottey, (chairman of Exeter War Emergency Committee) and Mrs. Cottey, the Chief Constable (Mr. F. T. Tarry), and Mr. A. J. Coles (“Jan Stewer”)…’

This could reflect how the community of Exeter respects significant figures and how they would have been well known amongst the locals, due to perhaps all that they do to serve the city. The manager of the cinema is also recorded to have “thanked the men for their attendance”,  which was during an interval. His presence on the stage suggests how a personal repour could have been created, between the public and owner of the cinema.

Additionally, specific to this article, The Odeon has been depicted as a sanctuary that provided a morale boosting atmosphere with notable figures of authority, such as the Mayor of Exeter, commending the men for their devotion to the war. The article echoes personal sentiments, of which the Mayor expresses deep gratitude towards the men and rewards them with a free screening to detract from the environment teeming with destruction and devastation. This is not only evident in the main content of reporting how the cinema was used to reward “The Boys” with a free viewing, but also the last section of the article itself, which ends with ‘THE BEST OFLUCK’. This leaves the reader with a positive state of mind towards the war efforts, including part of the Mayor’s speech, “May we wish you the best of luck in the hope that this terrible war will not be long”. There is no mention of perhaps the physical and mental condition the men were in during the viewing, as a result of their service. They are only described as a ‘cheery sight,’ which could have be seen as encouraging to the readers, reassuring them that the men were in high spirits despite the opposition they faced.

The charitable act of making these men feel respected and rewarded exhibits the national pride and sense of community by celebrating these people who selflessly sacrificed so much.