Gainsborough: Old Nick Theatre is getting a refurbishment thanks to nearly £90,000 of funding

The Old Nick Theatre in Gainsborough has been awarded nearly £90,000 to help rebuild the kitchen and the ladies toilets.
Old Nick TheatreOld Nick Theatre
Old Nick Theatre

The Old Nick Theatre in Spring Gardens, Gainsborough is a Grade II listed building which was built in 1860.

It served as the town’s police station and magistrate’s court and was the headquarters for Lincolnshire Constabulary until 1974 . The Magistrates Court was closed in 1975.

But to this day the police offices and cells remain almost as the police left them, complete with graffiti.

The building was then brought by Douglas Parkinson and he leased the building to the Gainsborough Theatre Company.

In 1979 the Magistrates Court was turned into a 55 seat auditorium.

Douglas Parkinson became the company’s first Honorary President and when he died in 1993 he left the Old Nick building to the group in his will.

The company have now received a total of £88,512 from both the WREN FCC Community Action Fund and West LindsayDistrict Council (WLDC).

The money is being used for the extension and refurbishment of the kitchen and ladies toilets and the work is being carried out by the Gelder Group. It is expected to be complete by the end of September.

When complete there will be an updated kitchen, lounge area with room for tables and chairs and two new ladies toilet cubicles.

Eleanor Bowker from the Gainsborough Theatre Company said: “We are always looking for money.

“We applied to the Heritage Lottery fund but we weren’t successful but we might try again.

“We have been awarded money from the WREN FCC Community Action Fund to improve the kitchen and ladies toilets and WLDC have also awarded us 10 per cent as well.

“We want to say thank you to WREN and WLDC. The council have always been very supportive of all our endeavors.

“We have really big hopes and potential for the future.

“We let the building out to groups and we do tours.

“Paranormal events are held in the building and the team from Most Haunted visited to film for their television series.

“We need to show the history side of things as well as it’s important for the building and for Gainsborough.”

Once the building work has been completed the Old Nick will be available for hire for anything from birthdays, receptions or paranormal events.

For more information call 01427 239387.

For more information about Gainsborough Theatre Company and upcoming performances visit www.gainsboroughtheatrecompany.co.uk.

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