by Katie Alston
kalston@thekmgroup.co.uk

After a £1.5 million redevelopment the old Gala bingo hall in Whitstable will reopen as The Peter Cushing Wetherspoon pub on August 23.

The company had hoped to open the new Oxford Street pub in time for the Oyster Festival, but it was delayed after large amounts of asbestos were found.

The opening of The Peter Cushing, which has also been used as a cinema in the past, will create 50 new jobs for the area.

Its name is a tribute to one of the town’s most famous former residents, actor Peter Cushing OBE who was known for his many roles in Hammer Horror films and his numerous appearances as the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.

He first visited Whitstable in the 1940s and in 1958 bought a house, initially for weekend use and then as his home in retirement until his death in 1994.

The new pub will specialise in real ales, but will also serve a wide range of beers, including those from local and regional brewers.

The new-look pub will feature one bar, as well as two commissioned artworks of seascapes of Whitstable by local artist Ginny Scadeng.

There are also some pieces of cinema equipment dotted around the place in honour of the venue’s past.

Photos, local history artwork and information boards relating to the history and characters of the area will also be displayed.

Grant Thompson, who will be the pub’s manager, said: “Myself and my team are looking forward to welcoming customers into the pub and we are confident that customers will be impressed by the transformation of the building.”