I WAS absolutely thrilled to read your exclusive front page article about an arthouse-quality cinema coming to the university and open to the public (Citizen, June 23).

One of the things I noticed about moving back to Preston, for family reasons, after 20 years living in Sydney, Australia, and many years before that living in London, is the lack of good-quality, arthouse and foreign films shown here.

One of the first things I did on my return was to try and join Preston Film Society, only to find out it had closed 'due to a lack of interest', its website stated.

In my Sydney home I was lucky. It was a seven-minute walk to a former art deco cinema, tastefully converted and extended in deco style to become a multi-screen, mostly arthouse venue.

Here, except on Sundays, there is not even a bus from Lea to the nearest complex at the docks. What a contrast.

The docklands complex tends to show mostly commercial films and many things reviewed in the national newspapers never make it to Preston or surrounding areas. Here's hoping that changes now.

I only hope the university cinema is widely advertised and that it really is open to the public. Hats off to everyone concerned.

Sue Hicks,

Ox Hey Avenue, Lea