A rainy night at Lulworth Castle

Published by Emma Lee-Potter in on Thursday 28th August 2014

LULWORTH FILMWhen I booked tickets for The Luna Cinema’s showing of Breakfast at Tiffany’s at Lulworth Castle I imagined a balmy August evening, crowds picnicking on the lawn and the gentle clink of wine glasses.

Except it didn’t turn out like that. Think dark skies, freezing temperatures and lashing rain – the kind of evening when you want to draw the curtains, light the fire and not go anywhere at all, let alone a field in the middle of the Dorset countryside.

The Luna Cinema specialises in showing classic films in stunning, outdoor locations. The company reckons that the settings in which you experience the films are as important as the movies themselves and with that in mind this year’s venues have included Kensington Palace and Sissinghurst Castle.

I loved the idea of watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s under the stars so I persuaded my daughter to come with me. Lulworth Castle, just five miles from the sea, is a striking 17th century fortress set in 12,000 acres – the perfect place for an evening out.

All good, except on the evening in question the rain was torrential. Undeterred, we stuffed the car with blankets, wet weather gear, boots and umbrellas and set off into the night, feeling like we were intrepid explorers embarking on a three-month expedition.

All the way there we wondered if we’d be the only ones to turn up – only to encounter a field full of cars and a host of smiley Luna staff assuring us that this wasn’t the worst rain they’d seen AT ALL.

Their optimism buoyed us up and made us feel that it was perfectly normal to be watching the timeless 1961 film bundled in blankets and clutching battered umbrellas. And they were right of course. It might not have been balmy and we eschewed the white wine for mugs of steaming hot tea but but it was a memorable evening all the same. Mad, but memorable.


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