News

Matlock Bath Grand Pavilion Re-opens

Kylie Pentelow from East Midlands Today visited the Grand Pavilion and announced the reopening a success. She said; “it is quite remarkable how volunteers have managed to transform the inside of the building and get it ready for the Derbyshire Open Arts Event. They have managed to put on a really professional event”.

Grand Pavilion chairman, Gregor Macgregor said; “During the event we have seen 2,000 visitors, with 618 on the final day, and signed up 138 new members. We were the largest and most adventurous venue in this Derbyshire-wide event. It combined not just an Art Exhibition, but also music, dance, poetry reading and audio-visual shows. We also showcased our new video on the history of the Grand Pavilion.

“Over 50 volunteers have got the building ready. They put in over 600 hours of their time and the difference has been amazing. Gone are the beer soaked carpets and the black paint. We have every room lit and safe.

“We also had some prestigious visitors. It was great to see our patrons Kylie Pentelow and Pollyanna Pickering, but also Andrew Pugh from the Heights of Abraham. Andrew came down on what must have been one of his busiest weekends of the year for this prestigious Matlock Bath visitor attraction.

“Whilst it is marvellous to see this building re-opened, we still have a long way to go. The building has no water, as all the pipes burst some years ago. This means no toilets will work and even organising a kitchen is quite a challenge! Visibly the building is in a terrible shape. It also has no modern facilities, such as lifts.

“Our aim is to raise the £2.6m that we need to fully refurbish the building. This money will come from the lottery and other funds. To persuade them to back us we need to show support from local people. During this event we have increased the membership of ‘The Friends of the Grand Pavilion’ by over 10%. A high membership will help us to show that this project is worth support from the Lottery Fund.

“You can join by signing up on-line at www.thegrandpavilion.com.”

Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2012-06-07 08:08:40