Royal day for Heron Theatre

Dark grey suit and deep red tie, with a matching subtle spot.

He stood proud, shaking hands here and there, as the assembled crowds outside the Heron Theatre watched for the Royal visitor.

"I've waited 50 years for this," he uttered, nodding towards the stone theatre building now complete after a five-year programme of improvements.

A £116,000 effort, half National Lottery money the rest from matching funds.

"Yes, I'm very proud," he added.

Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra was greeted by Union Jack-waving youngsters from Beetham C of E Primary School, as her entourage swept into the lane off the A6 to perform the official opening of the theatre.

Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria Sir Christopher Audland was on hand to greet the Princess, alongside other civic dignitaries and guests.

It was a memorable day for all concerned, especially five-year-old Charlie Barnes, from Hale, who presented the Royal visitor with the traditional posy.

It was special too for Kendal-based artist/blacksmith Paul Woodmass, who was commissioned by South Westmorland Stage and Screen Society, the theatre's owner, to create a life-size heron sculpture for the outside of the building.

Paul was thrilled to be presented to HRH along with South Lakeland painter Tiana Marie, who is exhibiting at the Heron.

Inside, SWSSS chairman Donald gave the main speech followed by the unveiling of a Westmorland slate commemorative plaque by the Princess.

The South Westmorland Stage and Screen Society story began in 1948.

Formed by a group of amateur actors, with a membership drawn from a wide area south of the county, the society staged performances in a variety of places, including Heversham Grammar School.

Having had one eye on a permanent home for years, SWSSS acquired the shell of the old grammar school in Beetham, owned by Charles Nickel, and, in 1985, converted it into a theatre.

Members named it the Heron, because of the nearby Dallam heronry.

Ten years later its first National Lottery award of £30,000 started the slow process of adding a foyer, exhibition area, dressing room, tiered-seating, stage and more, with another £28,000 in 1999 providing the final piece in the financial jigsaw, and completing the picture for the 81-seater auditorium.

Artistic director Jeanette Barnes is particularly enthusiastic about the theatre's role in the community: "It meets a lot of the district's needs.

It's very much a theatre for the old Westmorland area.

"We've long-term plans for another extension, but that's some time away yet."

Concerts, lectures, drama and small-scale professional productions are all in the bijou theatre's entertainment programme and, with a 93 per cent attendance figure so far, the future looks bright.

Northern Arts, the Westmorland Arts Trust, Cumbria County and South Lakeland District councils are among the other organisations and individuals which have lent a monetary hand in SWSSS achieving its grand goal.

It is a great success story and team effort.

Past chairman Tony Parker, spearheaded the building's design.

Gracing the walls of the Heron's exhibition space are Tiana's striking paintings.

She's a sought-after Kendal painter with a glowing reputation for her powerful, elemental works.

Working mainly in watercolour, mixed media and oils, she's outstanding with light, working in the Romantic tradition, communicating the idea of power, beauty and truth.

Paul Woodmass is also in demand.

The Kendal-based artist/blacksmith has just completed both new work and restoration work at Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts house at Bowness; and five pairs of individually designed gates as part of an environment project for Levens Hall.

Paul is based at Dockray Forge, at Dockray Hall Industrial Estate.

Commissions abroad include the ornamental main entrance gates for Euro Disney, in Paris.

And examples of Paul' s smaller-scale works are on show in the Heron's exhibition space.

So a new era dawns, as the great and the good leave the Heron Theatre after a performance of a Royal kind.

For information on the forthcoming Heron Theatre programme contact 015395-64283.

More details of Tiana Marie's work are on www.tianamarie.co.uk