FILM stars from the cinema's past were revealed when the owner of the Hurstbourne Tarrant roadside pub, the George and Dragon uncovered an old Georgian fireplace.

Posters advertising double feature programmes at Andover's long-defunct cinemas, the Rex in West Street and the longer-lived Odeon in Junction Road had been used as wadding when a replacement fireplace was built in front of the older one.

One poster, for the Rex, still bore a 1941 postage stamp on the back and the address of the pub then known only as The George.

Such posters were sent round to all the local hostelries and other outlets to advertise the regular cinema billings.

Cinema fans at the time would have relished a programme at the West Street picture house which started at 2pm daily and starred such screen film stars as Loretta Young in Kentucky, Gene Autry in South of the Border, Dorothy Lamour in Moon over Burma and William Boyd in In Old Colorado.

Another poster features the legendary Carmen Miranda.

"She was my father's pin up," publican, Grahame Christy said.