Bravo! Dudley Hippodrome keys are handed over to campaigners - 78 years after it all began

The long-awaited moment finally came 78 years since the day the theatre was first opened.

Members of the Black Country Hippodrome group have spent years campaigning to save the hippodrome and can now begin work on transforming the venue, which will see it reopen to the public as a theatre for the first time in half a century.

The group, which was started by Geoff Fitzpatrick and Malcolm Palmer, have been busy working with architects who are finalising preparations to refurbish and extend the building, which includes a large extension on the right side of the building next to Trindle Road.

Within the extension will be a new entrance, cafe and box office, as well as a first floor bar and restaurant.

However around £5 million needs to be raised by the group to ensure the dream of reopening the Hippodrome can be fulfilled.

Dr Paul Collins, chairman of the Black Country Hippodrome Limited, said as the keys were handed over yesterday: "It's been a combination of five years hard work and I'm accepting these keys on behalf of everyone who's worked on this campaign.

"We hope that the new hippodrome will kick-start the rebirth of Dudley.

"Hard work and fundraising will now begin to get everything together to begin work on the building which is now a robust shell and turn it into an open working vibrant theatre.

"We'd like to thank the council for putting their trust in us."

The building, which played host to the likes of Tommy Cooper and Laurel and Hardy in its heyday, is in need of a complete overhaul having been closed for seven years when it was last used as a bingo hall.

It is hoped that the building will re-open and start hosting events by 2020.

The campaign group have been handed a five-year lease which will allow the group time to begin refurbishing the derelict building on Castle Hill.

The mayor of Dudley Councillor Mohammed Hanif was at the keys handover and added: "The group will hopefully be able to bring the hippodrome back to its glory days. I wish them all the best with it all as its going to be a huge task."

Council leader Pete Lowe said: "It's quite exciting, I think it's the right thing to be doing and there's some really exciting plans that I've had a look at.

"I would love to see the hippodrome come back and for it to become what it once was.

"We've handed the keys over so now they can do whatever they can."

Malcolm Palmer, who started the campaign with Geoff when the pair bumped into each other while both taking petitions around Dudley town centre, said he was 'absolutely over the moon'.

He said: "We got through it after all this time and now we finally have the keys."

Mr Collins added: "I think the main relief is the fact for the next five years, the building will not be knocked down."

The authority had been pressing ahead with plans to bulldoze the building, to make way for an open air public exhibition space next to the entrance to Dudley Zoo and the town's castle.

The hippodrome has not been used as theatre since the 1960s.

Architects have been drafted in to come up with plans for the revamp of the venue, while fundraising plans to pay for the work will now also need to be put in place to make the dreams become a reality.