Repairs set to start on Raac-impacted theatre roof
Scaffolding will be put up at the Key Theatre in Peterborough, with full renovations taking place after The Searchers & Hollies Experience show on 1 June.
Peterborough City Council, which owns the building, has allocated £2.19m for the works. The first show following re-opening is due to be 'An Evening Without Kate Bush' on 9 October.
The Chalkboard Cafe and Kindred Drama located in the building are due to remain open throughout the work.
Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, known as Raac, was found in the auditorium roof in 2023.
A temporary roof structure costing £192,000 was installed so events could continue while a permanent solution was sought.
Mohammed Jamil, Labour deputy leader and cabinet member for finance and corporate governance at the council, said: "I am delighted that work is starting on this vital project, which will ensure that this much-loved theatre can continue to operate.
"As with any major scheme, this will result in some disruption - in this case a short closure of the venue. However, once completed, it will ensure that the theatre can continue to provide a vibrant cultural offering for Peterborough residents."
Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Raac shut theatre to reopen for panto with new roof
City theatre to close for repair works
Roof repairs to close city theatre for four months
Peterborough City Council
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
The Searchers' original lead singer dies aged 84
An original Merseybeat icon who helped pioneer the cultural phenomenon of Liverpudlian music in the 1960s and 70s has died. Ronnie 'Shorty Rogers' Woodbridge was the original lead singer of The Searchers, one of the earliest success stories of the city's booming music scene. The 84-year-old rock star died earlier this month, leaving behind a six-decade legacy which took him from The Olympia to the dance halls of Edinburgh. Norman Stevens, 87, who played in Merseybeat band Duke Duval, said: "One night we were playing at the Holyoake Hall on Smithdown Road, and this lanky tall guy came up and said 'can I do a couple of numbers lads?', and we said yeah. We called him on and he rocked the place. You couldn't hear what we were playing for him. He was throwing himself all over the place, he had all the actions going." Ronnie was an original member of the band which became known as The Searchers, who flourished throughout the 1960s with hits including Sweets for My Sweet and Sugar and Spice. READ MORE: Family-run chippy that's 'the first place people come to' READ MORE: Abusive men and women who everyone should know about News of his death comes after the band's triumphant final performance on the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury on Friday night. Despite leaving the group before it soared to international fame (becoming the second group from Liverpool, after the Beatles, to make it big in America), Ronnie went onto forge a successful musical career in his own right. After becoming a lead vocalist with the Nat Allen Orchestra and performing at Locarno Ballroom in West Derby - now known as The Olympia - he moved to Edinburgh in 1960 and started working at the Palais de Danse in Fountainbridge. He adopted the stage name "Shorty Rogers", an amusing reference to his looming height, and performed six nights a week. As the dance hall craze died down, he continued his solo career of rock and roll, country music and comedy on stages all over Scotland. Norman said: "He was at the start of The Searchers, in fact it was him who gave them the name The Searchers from the John Wayne film of the same name. He was a nice guy too, a real Liverpool bloke we should all be proud of. "When Duke Duval finished we became the resident band at the Empress Jazz Club on Victoria Road in New Brighton and Ronnie used to come and sing with us from time to time. "He was spotted by someone from a large orchestra from Edinburgh along with this lad called Johnny, who was what we called 'the Liverpool Elvis Presley'. Him and Ronnie Wood were invited to join the large orchestra in Edinburgh and off they went, and good luck to them. "It was an absolutely marvellous time because it was all new, all raw, all against everything that our parents had stood for. They all still wore suits and ties, and we said 'bugger that we want to do what we want to do!' and off it went. We broke new ground and it echoed all over the country, bands springing up, it was all going on." Ronnie was born in January 1941 amid the constant bombardment of German bombs in what became known as the Liverpool Blitz. He grew up with his dad, stepmum and three brothers in Anfield. Ronnie married his wife Frances in 1962 and the couple had two sons, who inherited their father's passion for music and went on to perform in bands of their own. His funeral will be held at Warriston Crematorium in Edinburgh at 1pm on Friday, July 4. Mourners are asked to wear red in memory of Ronnie. The Searchers guitarist and singer Mike Pender, in a tribute to his old friend, said: "I was saddened to learn of the passing of Ron Woodbridge. Ron was with me the day we watched John Wayne give us the unforgettable name still famous today! "Goodbye Ron. Gone but not forgotten."
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Yahoo
The Searchers at Glastonbury 2025 – stage and time as Liverpool band end 68 years of touring
Liverpool band The Searchers will end nearly 70 years of touring with their debut at the Glastonbury Festival. The band has performed with different line-ups since its formation in 1957. They were formed by musicians Mike Pender and John McNally. The group is long-standing and has existed for decades, after first finding success in the 1960s. The Searchers will take to the Acoustic Stage today. Their stage time is scheduled to be from 8pm to 9pm. Singer in the group John McNally told the BBC: "A Glastonbury debut at 83—can anyone top that? I don't think life gets any better, does it?" "There will be a few nerves, but in a good way, and we'll be nicely warmed up from our shows in June. We can't wait to see our fans again for this incredible final farewell." READ MORE: Noel Gallagher wrote 'moody' Oasis song after 'appalling' gig saw him storm out of band READ MORE: Joshua Kimmich becomes first Bayern Munich player to break silence on Florian Wirtz to Liverpool Bassist and singer Frank Allen, who joined the group in 1964, said: "I have played shows across the world with The Searchers for over 60 years; Glastonbury has always been an ambition that has eluded us – until now. "The Searchers are finally performing at the greatest music festival of them all. What a way to round off a tour and a career. I can't wait to get up on stage and give our fans one final blast." The Searchers had the first of three UK number ones in 1963 with their version of The Drifters' hit Sweets For My Sweet. They were a part of the Merseybeat scene, flourishing during the British Invasion of the 1960s. They also topped the UK charts twice in 1964 with Needles and Pins and Don't Throw Your Love Away and had other hits in the decade with When You Walk In The Room, Goodbye My Love, and Sugar and Spice. Mike Pender, real name Michael Prendergast, was part of the original line-up, he left the group in 1985 to pursue a solo career and received an MBE for services to music in 2020. He took the lead vocals on a number of their big hits. The current members of The Searchers are: John McNally – lead guitar, backing vocals (1959–present) Frank Allen – bass, backing and lead vocals (1964–present) Spencer James – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar synthesizer (1985–present) Richie Burns – drums, backing vocals (2023–present) The Final Farewell Tour runs from June 14 and will end with the band playing the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury on June 27. The Scouse artists join a line-up of other performers from Liverpool playing at Glastonbury this year. Liverpool DJ Lauren Lo Sung played The Glade yesterday, June 26, between 7.30pm and 8.30pm. Lauren's parents gifted her her first set of decks at 11. Three years later, the Scouse musician was sneaking into local clubs with her older sister, who played a pivotal role in introducing Lauren to dance music. Also taking to the stage yesterday was Walton-based band The Cheap Thrills. Their performance attracted hundreds of people from Liverpool who packed out the surrounding area of the stage to show their support. Fans of the local band praised their incredible achievement. One fan posted on social media: "Absolute madness reading something like this being from Walton Vale as well, good luck guys", to which The Cheap Thrills replied "L9 forever". They played the Bread and Roses. This weekend will be a huge moment for The Sway, who have started headlining their own shows after being the support acts the likes of Jamie Webster and Red Rum Club. Both Jamie and Red Rum Club are on the Glastonbury bill. Jamie will perform at Left Field on Sunday as part of a 'radical round up' alongside musical icon Billy Bragg. It's not Jamie's first time at the festival, having performed to huge crowds in the past. The Liverpool singer-songwriter performed on the Other Stage last year.
Hamilton Spectator
13-06-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Margaret Atwood and Neil Young sign open letter urging Peterborough library to reverse staff cuts
More than 100 Canadian authors, musicians and artists have signed an open letter urging the City of Peterborough and the Peterborough Public Library to reverse a decision to eliminate three unionized librarian positions, including the children's librarian. 'Children deserve safe, welcoming, and magical spaces where their imagination and creativity are encouraged and celebrated,' reads the letter , organized by a grassroots advocacy group called Our Future Peterborough. 'That the City of Peterborough is considering eliminating these essential roles is deeply disappointing. In a world that feels increasingly indifferent and even hostile toward children's wellbeing, this move is a giant step in the wrong direction.' Among the letter's signatories are novelists Margaret Atwood and Madeleine Thien , Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Neil Young , former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and many other luminaries from the arts and literature communities. Children's entertainer Fred Penner also signed the letter, and released an accompanying message: 'When children are born into this world, we have an opportunity to nurture them in every way possible so that they can live up to their potential as caring and contributing adults.' The open letter is part of a larger community response to the library's decision to restructure in the wake of budget cuts . Earlier this year, Peterborough City Council voted to reduce the library's operating budget by $120,000. In response, the library announced that it would be implementing a staffing reorganization to reduce its expenses, resulting in the elimination of three specialist roles: the adult and teen programming librarian, the librarian who manages the library's information systems (also known as the access services librarian) and the children's librarian. The decision to cut the library's operating expenses came as part of the municipal budget-setting deliberations, as council sought to make savings in all city departments to reduce property taxes. According to a statement released by the city in April, the restructuring will result in a net reduction of one position: 'There will be three positions eliminated, and two new positions will be created, for the net reduction of one position. A fourth affected position will be maintained but restructured to expand its role.' City officials also said that library services, including children's services will be maintained, but 'will be delivered in a different way to help reduce cost increases.' The news was met with swift backlash from the community. On May 16, around 200 people gathered for a rally outside the main Peterborough Public Library branch, demanding a reversal of the funding cuts, while city council and the library's leadership were inundated with hundreds of letters from concerned residents. An online petition launched in April has already racked up more than 2,300 signatures. 'There's a reason so many esteemed writers and artists signed this letter,' said Sheetal Rawal, who co-founded Our Future Peterborough with Hilary Evans and Laurel Harris. 'They remember the librarians who saw them and encouraged them. They understand what's at stake.' In a phone call with the Star, Evans said that the cuts to the library were made without any meaningful public consultation. 'It took everybody by surprise,' she said. 'Nobody was really taking ownership of the issue, and there was a lot of deflecting. So in order to bring more attention and awareness to the issue, we decided to write this open letter.' The open letter was published on Tuesday. Two days later, Evans said she had not heard back from any decision makers. Peterborough Public Library CEO Jennifer Jones told that Star that is 'wonderful' to see so many people speaking out in support of the library, but believes that the open letter is based on a 'misunderstanding' of the changes that are being made. 'At the moment, it's only the access librarian position that is not being replaced,' Jones said, emphasizing there will only be a net reduction in staff of one. 'The other two (positions) are changing, or repositioned, for lack of a better word. The job descriptions are changing and the tasks and responsibilities they have are changing.' Evans rejects the claim that the letter is based on a misunderstanding. 'One of the positions they are creating is purely administrative, and the other is an assistant that delivers the programming,' she said. 'This restructuring doesn't take into account the deep community ties that the three librarians have. It doesn't take into account their specialties and their years of experience.' The proposed new positions, Evans added, will be 'disconnected from the actual people who are using the programs.' In a joint statement to the Star, Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal and Councillor Matt Crowley, who is a member of the Peterborough Public Library Board, noted that the library's operating budget is increasing by eight per cent this year, from $3.8 million to $4.1 million. The two officials reiterated that library services will be maintained, adding that 'the city opened a brand new library branch in a larger community centre this year to improve access to library services for all residents.' Asked to respond to the content of the open letter, Leal and Crowley said they 'completely agree with residents and cultural figures who have expressed support for library services,' but noted that the city is in the midst of collective bargaining with the union that represents Peterborough Public Library workers. 'We want to make sure we respect that process as we move forward.' Sean McCarthy, the chief steward for CUPE Local 1833, a union representing the library workers, told the Star that no one has been laid off yet, and urged city council 'to correct this mess.' Peterborough residents are planning to assemble once again on Thursday evening outside the public budget consultations to rally support against the library cuts. The overwhelming response from the community, according to Evans, is rooted in a frustration over cuts to services that she says are not being made with adequate input from the public. 'Libraries are often described as a non-essential service, but the library has become incredibly essential and they're providing way more than just book-borrowing services,' she said. 'I think a lot of people recognize that and a lot of people are just fed up with having wonderful things being slashed and cut and disregarded.'
