To date, I’ve not met one person that doesn’t like the city of Bristol. You have art, history, the steepest hills (which means stunning views), amazing food – oooh such great food… I digress – events like Harbour Fest, and remarkable hidden gems dotted around the city.  The list is endless. However, for this blog post we’ll look at the latter on the list. Hidden gems!  

We pay homage to Totterdown’s The Old Picture House, a beautiful space serving not just  the immediate community but everyone living in Bristol, or passing through the city for that matter.

Just like Bristol, The Old Picture House has great history and has been close to the hearts of neighbouring residents for decades. With bags of charm and a super chilled and friendly vibe on entering through its door, you can definitely see why it’s rated so highly by those in the community. 

The wide double door at the entrance takes you into a spacious hall with a high ceiling and an expansive wooden floor filled with round tables, as well as a few larger square tables  at the edges of the room. Tables and chairs are arranged around a projection wall on the right side of the room –  no surprise  as the projection board is  huge, approximately 8 by 11 feet in size. Towards the back of the room is a well-equipped stage lit up by a large 40’s-style  standing lamp and a beautiful black curtain backdrop scattered with fairy lights.

Kumar, the proud owner of the venue and a much-loved local, has seen it frequently transformed from the stylish Black and White Cinema House and Café to a gig space for musicians and their audiences. The space also serves  as an arts centre, conference room for businesses and (my personal favourite) a birthday party spot fit for queens and kings! Although he could not confirm how many different types of events the space had been used for when asked, he was pleased to confirm the high praise received by families and business owners who have used the venue.  

The flexibility of the venue and  its proximity to Temple Meads make it a popular choice.  Bookings also include use of the sound equipment, projector, bar and a  small kitchen The kitchen is great for minimal food prep such as washing and reheating food. Bring your own booze is a must should you require it, which is music to the ears of the thrifty I’m sure! 

If you haven’t already found a great medium sized space for your next event, whether that’s a networking event, concert, graduation party, engagement/wedding party, etc… please do check out The Old Picture House. With prices starting from as little as £30 per hour, space for up to 60 people and a guest opening time from 10am to 9:30pm, we challenge you on finding such great value for money and a more accommodating host than  Kumar. 

Bookings are being taken now via our contact form and should you have any questions, please email support@letterboxparties.com or call us on 0330 055 2567. 

Next month, we’ll look at the perfect party drinks for summer. If you have a favourite party drink, please let us know for our poll – we’d love to include the most popular ones.