Exhibition marks anniversary of bombing of Hull cinema

The National Picture Theatre on Beverley Road, Hull, was hit by German bombs in 1941

A new exhibition commemorating the anniversary of the bombing of the National Picture Theatre in Hull is set to open.

The cinema opened in 1914 and was bombed during a raid on 18 March 1941 while showing Charlie Chaplin's anti-Hitler comedy The Great Dictator.

All 150 people who were watching the film escaped without serious injury.

Organisers said the exhibition told the "remarkable story" of the cinema and the people of Hull at the time.

Hull suffered its first daylight bombing raid in June 1940 and its last attack was in March 1945.

Most attacks on the city took place during 1940 and 1941 and 1,200 people were killed in the city.

Rob Pritchard, Portfolio Holder for Crime, Communities and Culture, said: "This new exhibition explores the extra roles that ordinary people had to do in the city, during the Blitz.

"[It] reminds us to learn from history and to think of those who suffered in Hull in 1941," he said.

The exhibition, which is being held at Hull History Centre, features photographs, objects and personal stories of the bombing.

"I encourage residents, young and old, to come and enjoy this free exhibition about one of Hull's most bombed and untouched sites in the city," Mr Pritchard added.

A visitor centre with an auditorium, exhibition space and an education centre is planned

Plans were announced in 2020 to transform the derelict cinema into a national memorial.

A visitor centre with an auditorium, exhibition space and an education centre is planned.

The former cinema gained Grade-II listed status in 2007 due to it being a very rare example of a blitzed ruin.