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Bombed WW2 cinema to reopen after 85 years

Stuart HarrattEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
News imageOctovision Media Aerial view of the restored cinema facade it has the words The National Picture Theatre Historic Site above an arched doorway with black metal gates the front is illuminated by two large lightsOctovision Media
The bombed cinema has been restored as a war memorial and education centre

The remains of a cinema bombed during World War Two is to reopen as a memorial garden and history centre following a restoration project.

The National Picture Theatre, in Hull, was hit during a German air raid on 17 March 1941 and left derelict.

Hull City Council has described the site, in Beverley Road, as the "last surviving civilian, bomb‑damaged building in the UK".

The facade has now been restored and the open space where the auditorium once stood will become an education and community events area, as well as a "place of reflection", according to the council. It will open on 16 September.

News imageHull City Council The rear of a former cinema converted into a community space. In the foreground, a large space with a beige and red surface is dotted with wooden benches and enclosed by a fence and a wall. In the background, the remains of a bombed cinema, with red-brick walls and concrete beams, held up by steel supports.Hull City Council
The new community space "honours the resilience of the people of Hull", according to Councillor Jackie Dad

Councillor Jackie Dad said it was "great to see the restoration now complete".

"The National Picture Theatre is an incredibly important part of Hull's wartime history and its preservation ensures that future generations can understand the profound impact the Second World War had on our city," she said.

"For the first time, this site will become both an educational facility and a place where people can come together to reflect and remember loved ones.

"The careful work undertaken here not only protects a unique heritage asset but also creates a new community space that honours the resilience of the people of Hull."

News imageHull History Centre A black and white photograph of the bombed interior it has a pile of rubble and collapsed timbers form the roof Hull History Centre
The cinema was destroyed in a German bombing raid in 1941

At the time of the air raid, 150 people were inside the cinema watching Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator. They took cover in the entrance foyer and no one was killed or seriously injured.

Their survival was attributed to two beams across the gallery, which prevented greater damage.

After a long campaign to preserve the building, it was granted Grade II listed status in 2007 and work to stabilise the structure took place in 2020.

A local contractor used original materials and traditional techniques to restore the cinema, which was built in 1914.

News imageOctovision Media A drone view, taken at dusk, of a ruined, red-brick cinema, which has been partially restored. A new roof covers the front facade, where surviving walls, columns and staircases can be seen. In the foreground, two concrete beams, now supported by steel structures, cross the site. Lights illuminate the brickwork and floor, which has a beige and red surface. Octovision Media
Period materials have been used to restore the building

A new steel beam was installed to provide stability for a new roof to be constructed, while period bricks, reclaimed from other buildings in Hull, were used to rebuild supporting columns.

Funding for the restoration was provided by the council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the National Civilian World War II Memorial Trust.

In total, about 1,200 people were killed during German bombing raids on Hull, with 3,000 injured and more than 150,000 made homeless.

According to the council, the National Picture Theatre will open for organised historical events, educational visits and other public activities.

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