Iconic Newlyn building brought back to life!

As recent national media articles have acknowledged Cornwall, and Newlyn in particular, is the most densely populated area of creative endeavour. With the artistic roots grounded in the Newlyn School pioneered by Stanhope Forbes, England's biggest fishing port continues to embed the creative spirit in its very fabric - nine years ago, Newlyn Filmhouse opened its doors in a former granite fish cellar and smokers built in 1876.

Just opposite the filmhouse stands another granite building, the old St peters Church hall and schoolroom - a building that has played host to almost every kind of community event, dance schools, discos, bazars, jumble sales, the Newlyn Players and many more have seen hundreds of thousands of locals make the short journey across the Coombe river to enjoy whatever beckoned inside...

and not least amongst those events were those connected to the fishing industry - here, the harbour commissioners are in the process of inviting fishing skippers and their representatives to an historic meeting in the 'schoolroom' when...

back in 1973 the decision was taken not to go ahead with an ambitious plan to double the size of the harbour to accommodate the growing fleet - unlike the Rev Laczryma's hugely ambitious plans that saw tyhe creation of the North and South Piers in the late 1880s...

seen here streaming across the bridge, fishermen met in their hundreds in late 1978 when the handline fleet that amassed every year during the winter months were contending with the presence of the powerful pelagic fleets from Grimsby, Hull, Lowestoft and the entire Scottish purser fleet all targeting the huge shoals of mackerel...

like many church buildings these days, the old schoolroom was put on the market a few years ago...

which eventually led to local camera & lighting film man, and Penlee lifeboat crew, Chris Yacoubian had the vision to see the potential in re-purposing the building...

as a hub of community endeavour by creating five studio spaces...

one of them being the old stage, now Studio 4...

Studio 3 or Nancy's showboats the 150 year old pitch pine floor...

which, and testament to the quality of timber back in the day, has see Studios 2 and 1's floor submerged under pools of rainwater for many years as a result of a leaking roof...