Stephen Merchant and his dad have joined calls to save an old cinema in Bristol.
In March, developers Landrose, which bought St George's Hall in Redfield from Wetherspoon's several months ago, submitted a planning application to build 44 bedsits in the building. Local residents who have been campaigning for the Church Road building to be put into community use and for the hidden cinema to be restored are hoping that the council will reject the application.
The group of residents' proposals for the historic building gained cross-party support from local councillors and their petition has gathered over 9,000 signatures. And now the Bristol comedian has shared a video on Twitter which shows his dad speaking about why it should be saved.
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Mr Merchant wrote: "My dad (from whom I inherited my love of film & TV) speaking passionately about why we need to #SaveRedfieldCinema in Bristol."
In the clip, Ron Merchant said that the cinema changed his life and that his son must have got his habit for cinema from him.
"So, in a way, I guess I have gone from Redfield to Hollywood in a generation," he said. "When I found out about the cinema still existing, I thought what a wonderful opportunity for all of us. It needs to be saved just for the future and the atmosphere that is still there. I can feel the creative urge coming back to me anyway, and the magic.
"I would like to think that we could now give the opportunity to the local people of Redfield to create a community asset that will be such a benefit to everybody."
