ENCHANTING, amazing and grand - those were just three of the words experts used last night to describe the jewel of the Valleys, Newbridge's Memo.

Restoration programme viewers were given a tour of the Newbridge Memo in last night's show on BBC2 - and saw how it could be restored to its art deco glory.

The Memo is biding to win the £3 million Restoration prize - and the Argus is the official newspaper of its bid.

Presenter Griff Rhys Jones said the Memo was an "enchanting cinema in desperate need of a lifeline".

Experts Marianne Suhr, an historical buildings supervisor, and Ptolemy Dean, a conservation architect, took cameras around the building's art deco cinema.

The pair were pleased and surprised by what they saw. "The cinema has all its original paintwork," Marianne excitedly told viewers. "This is so grand and completely unexpected.

"The engineering and structure is amazing. I love it." Ptolemy described the cinema as a "complete world of escapism and fantasy. "It is like a museum of cinema history." The programme also showed a computer reconstruction of how the Memo restoration would look.

Today is the last day for voting in the Welsh round of the programme. The phone lines are open until midnight tonight

The Memo is competing against Cardigan Castle and the Llanfyllin Workhouse in north east Wales - and if it wins will compete in the national finals for the cash prize. The result will be announced on Sunday's programme.

To vote for the Memo dial 09011 33 22 22 before midnight tonight. Calls cost 50p.