A NEW heritage area could be set up inside the former Odeon building to tell the story of its 85-year history.

The project would form part of Bradford Live's planned £18 million scheme to turn the disused 1930s landmark into a major 4,000-capacity live venue.

Director Lee Craven said as part of the refurbishment, they hoped to be able to set aside a separate area - possibly in one of its distinctive twin domes - where visitors could learn about the building's history.

And he said he hoped the area would also showcase some of the objects campaigners from the Bradford Odeon Rescue Group (BORG) had lovingly salvaged from the building over the years, especially during its recent strip-out.

Mr Craven said: "Bradford Live is very conscious of how much the people of Bradford value this building and the role it has played in the lives of many. "We hope to retain a small area in the restored building – possibly in one of the domes - showing the history of the building through photographs and historical artefacts that BORG has rescued, and what it means for the city and its people."

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Mark Nicholson, secretary of BORG, said the type of materials they could provide for some sort of museum included stage lights from the 1930s which one of their members, Mike Bottomley, had restored, as well as gas lamps, old cinema signs and set lists from prominent shows.

He said they also had "an absolute wealth of photographs" and had retrieved a whole host of documents from the building last year ahead of its strip-out by Bradford Council, the building's current owners.

He said: "It's just a little sliver of light from its working life."

And one of the latest mementos from the building's history is a plaque found on one of the domes during their current refurbishment.

The small copper tile was fixed to the dome during an earlier repair made in 1963. It was imprinted with the names of the two workers who had undertaken the roofing job - A Ibbotson and D Dees.

Roofing contractors are currently replacing the copper covering on the domes, and Mr Nicholson's wife Jackie had asked them to rescue the tile on her behalf.

They had happily obliged, he said.

A £1.32 million scheme to strip out the Odeon, as well as make it safe and as watertight as possible, is due to finish by the end of the month.

The work has been carried out by Bradford Council using money from the Homes and Communities Agency.

A date for the handover of the building to Bradford Live has not yet been set.