Sheffield History Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 Fantastic video of Sheffield City Hall being opened for the first time in 1932 Costing £500,000 and taking 16 years to construct the City Hall was a groundbreaking building in more ways than one Amazing film this! There's a fantastic book all about Sheffield City Hall available HERE at Amazon too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lysander Posted September 25, 2017 Share Posted September 25, 2017 I don't think they started to build the Hall in the midst of the First World War. My understanding is that a Hall was proposed as a memorial to the War dead as early as 1916 but owing to a lack of finance not started until 1929 and then as part of a job creation scheme at the time of the Great Depression. ...At its height Sheffield's unemployment of 23.1% was running at a higher rate than in Glasgow, Liverpool or even Newcastle. Over 50% of the city's steelworkers found themselves out of work and at the tender "mercy" of the dreaded "Means Test"....something which Rotherham Council refused to do...only to find themselves feeling the wrath of Central Government. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lysander Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 I am informed by an ex Councillor who had access to Council records that the original proposal was for the hall to be financed by public subscription. This was done and raised a magnificent amount of money but, in the end, still needed a financial input from the Corporation who, promptly, changed the name of the hall from "Memorial" to "City". This upset a great number of people...demonstrations were held ; questions asked in Parliament and, finally, it was made known that the Prince of Wales was very unhappy too. As a "sop" to public opinion ( and to the Prince, no doubt,) the Corporation agreed the smaller hall to the rear should be called The Memorial Hall,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmund Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 Amazing it was built at all, a contemporary exposition of the arguments from 1932: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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