Alpha cinema St Albans loan from Civic Society

see the St Albans Review for details on one positive story so far this week. Text of their press release here too:

ST ALBANS CIVIC SOCIETY

PRESS RELEASE 1 February 2010

Civic Society Lends Its Support to James Hannaway

At an emergency meeting held tonight, the committee of St Albans Civic Society unanimously agreed to help James Hannaway secure The Odeon building by making a loan of £2,500 available, subject to necessary checks arising from ITS charitable status. This represents almost a third of the Society’s funds.
Here, in no particular order, are the reasons why we believe The Odeon matters.
1 It’s a landmark building on a gateway route. Restoration here would mean regeneration for the whole area – which sorely needs it.
2 St Albans has few examples of Art Deco architecture: this is one of them.
3 It’s built on the site of The Alpha Picture Palace, the county’s first purpose-built cinema opened in 1908 by Arthur Melbourne –Cooper, the UK film pioneer, whose importance to St Albans’ heritage is recognised on the continent – if not by our own District Council. And in an elegant compliment to this local celebrity, The Alpha it may very well become …
4 We need a cinema – and a cinema for everyone with a wide-ranging programme, like The Rex. And why not a beautiful cinema too?
James Hannaway is almost certainly our last hope of saving and restoring this important building. He deserves all the support he can get.
Further Information: Marion Hammant
01727 834113
marionhammant@hotmail.co.uk