WHEN Accrington's new Cinema opens tomorrow night it will be history in the making -- and it's all down to schoolgirl Emma Allardice's dogged persistance.

Three years ago the youngster, then 13, spent two weeks collecting 140 pages of names in her quest to see the silver screen back in Accrington.

"It must have taken about two weeks to get it all done and dusted," she said. "I left some in the chemists, the doctors, in shops, and family and friends came round with me door to door.

"I thought they would just chuck the petition in the bin. I was 13 when I first started it and I just thought they would put it to one side and hope I would give up."

But a fledgling company, Globe Enterprises, owned by Hyndburn Council, Hyndburn First and Barnfield Construction, was looking for a new project when Emma presented her petition to the then mayor Bernard Dawson.

Former council leader Peter Britcliffe said the project had been blessed with luck from the outset.

"We took control in May 1999 and it was one of our objectives to bring cinma back to Hyndburn, although it seemed more llike something we were dreaming about more than something we could make happen," he said.

Then Emma got her petition together and a picture of her presenting it to Coun Britcliffe, Greg Pope and Coun Bernard Dawson was spotted by the cinema developers.

"They read it in the newspaper and it went from there," said Coun Britcliffe. "It was a bit like magic, things fell into place at the right time. I'm delighted we managed to play some small part in making this happen."

Three years on Emma, who is completing a performing arts course at Accrington and Rossendale College, is preparing to be guest of honour at the opening ceremony for the four-screen venue, built by Premiere Cinemas.

But what was it that made her go to all the trouble in the first place. "There's never anything to do round here," she said.

"There are pubs for the older people and creches for the younger ones but nothing for teenagers. My grandma said we used to have cinemas and suggested I ask about one."

After putting her ideas together Emma had a series of meetings with MP Greg Pope, Nigel Rix, then council leader Peter Britcliffe, and Andy Grays, operations manager for Premiere Cinemas, then Metroplex.

Showing grit her grandfather, former Accrington councillor Ted Allardice, would have been proud of, the former Rhyddings High School pupil persevered with the campaign and will be among the first people to sample the new facility when she attends a special lunch tomorrow.

"There's nobody else in the family that's got involved with anything like this and he would be chuffed about it and excited," she said.

And her verdict on the cinema: "It's ace. Last time I saw it about two months ago it was just scaffolding. I didn't think it was going to be ready for this Friday. But when I went in last night they had the carpets down and everything.

"It feels quite good because I didn't think it was going to happen at all."