Exclusive: Bridport’s old Liberal Hall sold – then vandalised

UPDATED September 14 (afternoon): The sale was finalised yesterday (Monday). The new owners are already planning and talking to builders about re-roofing and the re-pointing of the structure. There may be a studio area incorporated once all the alterations are complete.

Then updated again in the evening: And there’s more! The unfortunate new owners completed and took possession of the keys yesterday. This morning they opened up and found that overnight there had been a break-in and the interior vandalised. Welcome to Bridport indeed!

IT IS not that long ago that I was wondering, on these very pages, just how long the old Liberal Hall in Barrack Street would remain empty.

Well blow me down now it has been flogged.

The purchasers are a theatrical group who also plan to carry out workshop activities. So new are this bunch that they haven’t even got a name yet. Nor is anyone involved prepared to talk about the deal and the future of the building.

In these thrifty days when grants are about as rare as an unassuming town councillor they must have a pretty hefty treasure chest that will allow them to buy the building, bring it up to standard and then run it while things settle down and they become established.

We shall see. Certainly it would seem to be a brave decision to have taken. So will theatre soon be returning to Bridport? It might well be.

In the mean time watch this space. At least on Real West Dorset we walk about with our eyes and ears open.