Hundreds of people came through the historic doors of the Winter Gardens theatre as it reopened to the public over the weekend.
A total of 650 people came to visit the Grade II* listed building on its first opening weekend of the new season, in its 125th anniversary year.
Professor Vanessa Toulmin, chair of the Winter Gardens Preservation Trust, said about half of the people who joined in the tours around the theatre were visitors who had come to Morecambe specifically to see the Winter Gardens.
Visitors also got to see some of the work which has been done to help restore the building.
LISTEN NOW to Professor Vanessa Toulmin talking to Tony Simon (interview by kind permission of Triple M Radio):
"I think people have been really impressed and seen the work, and the progress we've made in the last six months which has been incredible," said Professor Toulmin.
"The roof has been done, it was leaking water all the time. We've had zinc replacement, no lead, so please don't steal our lead, it's zinc!
"We've had £1.2m spent on the building in the last 18 months.
"We've taken it back to what it originally was. The original colours, the original material and the original building.
"The floor has been painted blue. The original flooring of the Winter Gardens was linoleum, it was done by Peels of Lancaster, and that was blue.
"Hopefully in the next two or three years we can put a lino replacement back.
"We've had 11 different grants in the last 18 months.
"We put a heating system in last year. Probably the worst possible time to put a new heating system in because the bills are astronomical!
"When we are open for events, the heating will be on, but when we are open as a historic building, the heating won't be on, because it's literally like throwing money into the Bay."
Professor Toulmin also looked forward to welcoming audiences to a number of events the Winter Gardens has planned in the coming months, including a Laurel and Hardy and Buster Keaton film showing, a 125th anniversary party in July, and an adult pantomime.
"We've got a good mixture of national, regional and local promoters coming in to use the building.
"We look forward to working with Vintage and other local festivals to make sure the Winter Gardens is part of the tourist attraction for people coming to the seaside again."
Click here for more information on how to become a volunteer at the Winter Gardens.
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