A MUSIC club threatened with closure has blasted back into action.
Since the 1970s, The Hermit Club, in Shenfield Road, Brentwood, has offered a place for teens to hang out and play and listen to music.
It is even rumoured that folk legends Simon and Garfunkel played there in the early days.
However, with owners Essex County Council apparently strapped for cash, the future of the venue looked rather bleak last year.
That was until veteran musician and songwriter Peter Sills stepped in alongside project partner Dave Greene and an army of helpers from around the community.
Mr Sills, who has written songs for the likes of Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton-John, enlisted the help of teenagers and parents, raised more than £10,000, and started a new chapter for the venue as a community interest company.
Last Friday, The Hermit rocked once more with an array of live acts entertaining the crowd of youngsters.
Before the teenagers took over, Brentwood borough councillor Will Russell presented club members with a guest book, signed by Thin Lizzy guitarist and Brentwood resident Brian Robertson.
The Mayor of Brentwood, Cllr Ann Coe, council staff and parents were also in the audience soaking up the atmosphere.
Danny May, 16, from Writtle, said he was having a great time.
"It's just great fun here," he said.
"I always wanted to be in a band and coming here gives us a chance to play."
But it is Mr Sills who is clearly the inspiration behind the rejuvenated nightspot.
He explained why he got involved, after the club shut in April 2012.
"I just thought there are so many musicians around here who have got nowhere to go, nowhere else to play," he said.
"So I decided to see if there was something we could do.
"There were lots of suggestions and plenty of doom mongers.
"I was afraid it was going to be sold, so I put a proposal together and through my experience at the rock school I knew we could generate the interest and money to keep it going."
For 15 years, the part-time school teacher has run a rock school at the venue, where he teaches children to play various instruments but as a band.
Mr Sills said: "It's got to be a community based club, it's got to be there for all the kids, it's got to be there for them to come and learn about music or simply come to listen to music. It's one of very few venues where they can come and perform.
"I love it. I think, probably, my strongest ability is to identify talent very quickly.
"As a school teacher and running the rock school at the Hermit, there are so many talented children and just to encourage them and help them with their music, you know you are going to change their lives.
"There is no feeling like it."
The Hermit Club received £5,000 from Brentwood Borough Council and £4,419 from Essex County Council.
To find out more visit www.thehermitclub.co.uk
