Checking-in with…

This month we sank into a sumptuous sofa at the Kino between show reels, to catch up with its Managing Director, Matt Breckon.

Matt joined the Kino management team in 2005, having decided to have a break from corporate life. He started his career in the airline business, working in sales and marketing for Air France and British Airways before moving into procurement and consulting for large multinational clients.

As he explains, “I got tired of commuting into London and constantly being on a plane somewhere. I dreamt of doing something more creative, and ideally working locally. That’s when Kino came along, and I’ve never looked back. Since then, we’ve created Kino Rye and weathered countless storms. I’m extremely proud of what we have achieved, and thankful to the Kino team, many of whom have been with us since the start.”

Everyone at The George is also so grateful to have such a special cinema right on our doorstep where we can unwind and, like Matt, cosy up in the back row with a decompressing drink in hand and lose ourselves for a couple of hours after a hard day’s work!

Kino

What brings you to The George?

Kino has always had a great relationship with Katie, Alex and The George. We are pretty much neighbours and they’ve been fantastic supporters since we opened in Rye 10 years ago. The George oozes style, and we had a very memorable Kino staff Christmas dinner in the Benson Room a few years ago.

List 3 things you won’t leave home without?

AirPods (for music, podcasts and phonecalls)
My metal water bottle (a purchase at Glastonbury)
My sunglasses (I’m an eternal optimist)

What is your earliest hotel memory?

Staying at the Hotel de France in St Helier, Jersey. My parents organised a surprise family holiday and we flew from Exeter in Air UK’s ‘flying shed’. My siblings and I all thought we were going on a day trip to Powderham Castle until we pulled into the airport car park. The hotel seemed enormous, with swirly carpets and had lifts (see later in the interview)!

What is the best/most important part of staying away in a hotel for you?

Not having to do anything – no cooking, no cleaning, no washing, just relaxing and enjoying while other people take responsibility!

What are you currently reading/binge-watching/listening to?

I slightly obsessively listen to “The News Agents” daily podcast to keep up to date with current affairs and opinion. Not only is it uncensored and unbiased (at least I think so), it’s also frequently laugh out loud funny. On the telly front, I watch a right mixture – from Slow Horses to Bake Off to Traitors and a lot in between! Oh and when I can, I love to sink into a cinema seat with a glass of wine, because you can’t beat watching a film on the big screen with amazing sound (not-so-subtle plug!)

Do you have a hotel lobby/lift story you’d care to share with us?

While holidaying in Jersey, my little sister and I were allowed to explore the hotel we were staying in, unaccompanied by an adult. The lifts were particularly exciting, with the then current pop music being piped into them. I vividly remember us singing along to Puss ‘n Boots by Adam Ant and giggling uncontrollably! I’m sure we weren’t supposed to be incessantly going up and down …but we were never caught! Simpler times, but I remember it as if it were yesterday…

What do you always forget/lose when you go away?

Nowadays I don’t really forget to take anything on holiday, because I have a mental checklist. However, items are occasionally left behind , most recently some favourite shirts in a houseboat in Amsterdam. My partner of 10 years is usually the culprit, so I normally do a ‘final sweep’ before departure … (I still blame Jonathan 😂 !). Fortunately the lovely owners sent them back in a neat parcel that arrived the following week.

Hypothetically, who would you most like to discover is a fellow guest?

They say never meet your heroes, and I missed one of mine recently at Kino while she was filming in Rye (thank you again for popping in to see us, Olivia Colman!), but I’ve always been a fan of Joanna Lumley. I’d love to have a natter with her in the bar over a glass of Bolly – I bet she’s got some stories to tell!

What helps you get to sleep at night? (Keep it clean!)

I discovered different breathing techniques at the same time as yoga during the 2020 lockdowns. I’d never had (made) the time for such things before then. Nowadays, no matter how stressed I am, a minute or so of conscious deep breathing does the trick almost every time. Oh and a decent pillow. Being provided with a bad pillow is a punishable offence!

My secret Rye discovery is…

Winchelsea Beach. Not strictly Rye, but near enough I think. A favourite thing to do with my two grown-up boys when they were little, was to get fish & chips from Marino’s (I suppose that was also a discovery?) and drive to the beach to eat them on a blanket. I love the fact that it is never busy and very beautiful. My boys would say Knoops – I still buy them the hot chocolate flakes for Christmas and have recently sent them both a tube to ease them into the new University term!