A MUSICIAN hopes his relocated studio in a former toilet block will reignite Tendring's once thriving young music scene.

Wave Break Studio, in Station Street, took more than a year to complete.

Paul Hepworth, alongside his father and father-in-law, renovated the building from scratch - which stood vacant for 16 years - investing nearly £12,000 to do so.

The 35-year-old said: "The hope is it's a real benefit, not just to me, but as something positive for the area and to bring music back as it's been lacking for a long time.

"When I was younger there was the Tendring Music School, I think it was called, every Saturday, but it all seems to have died off as there's no funding or support, so it'd be nice to kickstart it again.

"I'm in discussions with the organisation Get Known, Be Heard which is hoping to use my place as an additional studio, and I'm trying to set up with projects that work with young people and artists to help get them on the ladder of being a musician."

Paul had outgrown the old venue in Vicarage Lane and it seemed like fate intervened to make him the new leaseholder at Station Road.

He said: "About four or five years ago I remember walking past the building and mentioned in passing to my wife about how ideal the building would be.

"Then a short while later someone mentioned to me the council was trying to rent it.

"I jumped on it straight away with just a few weeks left to submit my proposals."

Sound-proofing the premises, so creating a "building within a building" and the renovation at-large was a mammoth task, but one which taught former music therapist Paul about studio construction and planning development.

He said: "In a sense I took on the task thinking it was going to be a little bit easier than it actually was.

"When I looked at the overall project I got a sense it would be very doable and not take too long, but once I got into it, I realised it takes half a year just to clear the building.

"I began feeling very hopeful halfway through. I just wanted it to end and finally it's here."

A big reveal took place to celebrate the launch last weekend and for residents to see what had become of the site.

Contact Paul Hepworth with enquiries on 07740 340993.

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