The Grand Electric Cinema was a much-loved part of Ryhope for many decades -; which is why I’m delighted that it is to be restored to its former glory and preserved for the future.

Generations of residents enjoyed a trip to The Grand between 1912 and the 1960s. It was later, however, converted into a bingo hall and, in more recent times, used for storage.

Work on moving the building 15 miles to Beamish, where it will be rebuilt brick-by-brick, is to start soon. The story of the “Palace of Dreams” will then live on, once more, for generations to come.