IN A galaxy far, far away – in the far reaches between Newbury and Basingstoke – rebel forces took up their positions to assume their role in one of this year’s most eagerly anticipated film blockbusters.

Pictures released on social media this year showed the Millennium Falcon and X-Wing fighters parked up at the former RAF base at Greenham Common in Berkshire, which had been chosen as one of the locations for the filming of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens that is due for release in cinemas across the country in December this year.

Hampshire Heritage has been taking a look back through the archives to see how the folk of Southampton greeted the first offering in George Lucas’ epic space-age tale.

Hundreds of film fans queued for hours to be among the first to see Star Wars in 1978. At the front of the queue at Southampton’s Odeon cinema in Above Bar were Roger Preece, Stuart Wills, Chris Fawcett and Rayce Knowles. They had begun queuing at midnight on January 28 to be sure of their seats at the 4pm screening the next day.

Daily Echo:

There were two queues stretching away from the Odeon’s entrance – one of them reaching half the way along Ogle Road. In its review of Star Wars the day before the film was released the Echo said: “If you are looking for a serious adult scifi then you’d better wait for Close Encounters of a Third Kind. But if you are a child at heart, hanker for the golden days of Flash Gordon and the derring-do of Tarzan or the wonders of Jules Verne then Star Wars is the perfect fantasy.”

By the time the film was released in the UK it had already created a craze in America and merchandise was in the UK shops even before the film hit British cinemas. Its release was followed by five further films and has achieved a massive cult status. Videos, DVDs, games, toys and other merchandise spinoffs have created £10.8 billion in estimated revenue.