Improvements costing nearly £400,000 to Bradford’s National Media Museum’s foyer should be completed next month.

The upgrade includes a new electronic information board, a new box office, a shop and a computer games lounge.

Colin Philpott, director of the museum, said: “We are creating a more effective flow of people.

“The first thing the majority of new visitors ask is where the toilets are. The new welcome board, as we’re calling it, will give people more direction where things are. The new games lounge will enable people to play mainly-1980s arcade computer games. We regard electronic games as an area we want to develop.”

The changes will be the first revamp of the foyer area since the expanded museum re-opened in 1999.

The museum is also replacing its Friends of Film membership with a more comprehensive and expensive scheme.

Mr Philpott said: “At the moment a Friend of Film member pays £17 a year and gets two free tickets, £1 off any tickets they buy and ten per cent discounts in the cafe and shop.

“Under the new scheme they would pay £26.25 a year and get six free cinema tickets. And if they make nine visits to one of our cinemas the tenth will be free. There will also be discounts for shows at the Alhambra.”

Everybody who transfers before their current Friends of Film membership expires will get a 25 per cent discount. Mr Philpott said: “Whatever money the scheme makes, and it will probably be a relatively small amount, will stay within the museum and help pay for things we want to do.”