Performers and event organisers who have taken to the stage at the city’s Guild Hall over the years have shown their support for the venue after it was revealed it could be flattened.
As reported by the Evening Post, Preston Council leader Peter Rankin revealed the cash strapped cabinet would be looking at the venue among a ‘hit list’ of other council services that may suffer as a result of financial pressures.
Coun Rankin said his preference would be to bring in an entertainment company to run the Guild Hall
Today stars showed their support for the venue.
Panto performer and radio presenter Ted Robbins said: “First of all I would be enormously sad. I have got so many happy memories of the Guild Hall.
“People are saying how awful it would be for Preston, the capital city of Lancashire, to not have a professional theatre.
“I know its difficult in these times but I just think is some one could do something about it.
“But also, people need to use it. If there were some good shows some [more] people would come.
“It seems people don’t want to go out.
“I hope somebody can do something about it.
“I will be behind any scheme to save it.”
Derek Smith from the Preston Twinning Partnership, who organised the Big Guild Gig which took place at the Charter Theatre in the summer said: “I think it would be a shame. It is an icon of Preston like the bus station.
“There’s not many venues where events can be held.
“I know it is very difficult to make a building like that pay these day. “Perhaps it should be put up to an entrepreneur or an entertainment company.”
Lady Milena Grenfell Baines, chairwoman of the Preston Friends of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra said: “It would break my heart to think this orchestra that calls Preston its second home, that it could be it’s last year before it would stop coming.”
Lady Grenfell Baines said not to have a the a hall would be the “last straw.”
And Aidan Turner-Bishop of Preston and South Ribble Civic Trust said: “It seems very silly to be talking like that.
“I remember the Guild Hall when it had a Morrisons supermarket, it was very very busy.
“The trouble is us ordinary people don’t quite know what is going on.
“I think the council is still grieving after Tithebarn.”
He also said that he believes footfall has fallen in the Guild Hall Arcade because the bus station has been allowed to fall into disrepair.
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