Music venue saved with £5,000 charity grant

Musician Tom Grennan regularly played at Esquires as his career took off

An independent music venue has been saved thanks to a £5,000 grant from a charity.

Esquires in Bedford said it may have had to close or face a fine due to its outdated fire alarm system.

Now the Music Venues Trust has awarded it the money, as one of 13 venues across the UK to receive a grant.

Gareth Barber, director of the venue, said he had "a good relationship with the Music Venues Trust".

The venue was established in 1984 and became Esquires in 1991.

Its main stage has a capacity for an audience of 280.

As well as hosting well-known touring bands such as Coldplay, Elbow, Muse and Roni Size, it also supported local musicians.

Artists such as Alfie Templeman, Tom Grennan and rock band Don Broco, regularly played there as their careers took off.

Alfie Templeman, who is from Bedfordshire, is another artist who has played at Esquires

Mr Barber said the fire alarm system had been "condemned" and the venue had to raise "almost £15,000 in a short space of time".

He said the "boiler broke down before Christmas" and the venue also had to carry out emergency electrical work.

"It was a little bit scary again, a little bit touch-and-go, but we are out of the other side of it," he added.

The £5,000 was from the Music Venues Trust's Pipeline Investment Fund.

Mark Davyd, the charity's chief executive, said: "Small amounts of money, sensibly invested, can make a real difference to grassroots music venues".