City urged to dig deep in ‘do or die’ mission to rescue Blitz site

The National Civilian Second World War Memorial Trust has been offered a chance to secure the former National Picture Theatre and Swan Inn pub in Hull for a 10 per cent deposit, with the remainder of the £250,000 cost being payable in six months.

The price has risen slightly from the £235,000 previously quoted after the site’s owners, Reid Park Properties, were given planning permission to convert it into a restaurant and flats.

But the trust - which has also got planning permission to transform the site into a Home Front tribute to the 1,200 civilians who died in Nazi bombing raids on the city - said the owners were prepared to sell to the trust despite interest from elsewhere.

Trust secretary Alan Canvess said: “We rang the estate agent and were told that the owner has two potential buyers for the site, one in Newcastle and the other in London. The owner has now increased the selling price to £250,000.

“He has said that he would rather sell to the trust because he knows we have been after it for a long time. He would therefore be prepared do an arrangement whereby if we exchange ‘soon’ we would pay 10 per cent immediately and then complete within six months.”

The trust will meet today to thrash out plans to raise the initial £25,000 - and is appealing to the public and businesses to help.

Mr Canvess said: “Over the long term grants can be sought from the National Lottery, the Princes Trust and other bodies but we’ve got to move quickly to try to raise the £25,000.

“We would love individuals and companies to stump up and help because we need to raise that amount quickly.

“We are going to do everything we possibly can to raise that first amount.

“I know it’s tight financially but we are going to contact some of the bigger companies to see if they can help.

“If the people of this area and beyond want this to take place this is the time to say can we chip a bit in. It’s a do or die situation.”

The grade two listed cinema in Beverley Road is the only blitzed civilian building ruin left standing in England and has been described as of “iconic importance”.

The adjoining hostelry, which is about 111 years old, is the last remaining bow-fronted pub in East Yorkshire.

Under the trust’s plans the theatre’s handsome brick frontage and the building’s shell would be conserved, and plaques bearing the names of the dead would be hung on the walls. The site would also house a separate educational building for schoolchildren.

The inn would be converted back to its wartime layout and would house a micro-brewery, which is intended to be self-financing.

The development and restoration work would cost a further £750,000, but the trust is confident it could access grants to support this.

More than 700 people signed a petition supporting the trust’s plans, which was organised by Stella Barnes, wife the vicar of Holy Trinity Church, where a memorial service was held in May to mark the 70th anniversary of the two most lethal raids, known locally as the Hull Blitz.

The theatre has lain untouched since it was attacked by the Luftwaffe at about 10pm on March 17, 1941.

The bombs fell as the cinema was showing Charlie Chaplin’s satire The Great Dictator. Unable to get to shelters because of the severity of the raid, 150 people crammed into the foyer and remarkably all survived when an airborne mine landed at the rear of premises, destroying the screen and gutting the building.

To help or find out more call Alan Canvess on (01482) 446320, or email [email protected].