Jump to content

Sheffield City Hall


Sheffield History

Recommended Posts

ha ha ha i am now waiting for you to reach 500 whatever that means!!!!

Well he's at 500 now, I'm at 856, and no, that isn't student nurses or anything remotely like that, it's postings on this very interesting site ...... probably ... lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When originally opened, the stage of the City Hall was adorned with two huge stone lions which weighed several tons, one either side of the entrance to the Green room in centre stage. The famous conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham hated them with a vengeance as they were "distractions". They were removed years after his death and are presently located outside the Tarmac company offices in Wolverhampton.

Link to picture Sheffield. The lions are bottom left of the pic.

http://www.picturesheffield.co.uk/cgi-bin/...jpgh/s05200.jpg

Here's another photo - sorry a bit wonky!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest tsavo

Built of Darley Dale stone, Sheffield City Hall opened on 22 September 1932 three years after the foundation stone was laid in 1929. Parliamentary powers were granted under the Sheffield Corporation Act 1919 to acquire the site for the building of the Hall and the architect was chosen in August 1920.

The great and the good in procession towards the City Hall for the grand opening. Thank heaven for cinema posters. This shot un-marked as to the occasion but "The Faithful Heart" showing at The Regent,- was released in 1932. Think that's pretty conclusive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mick Stanley

Going back a bit now, but the acts I remember seeing there include Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dr Feelgood, Tangerine Dream and Marc Bolan (after he left T-Rex I think). There would have been loads more but the memorys have all faded into the mists of time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the City Hall

I saw Dusty Springfield

Ray Charles

Went to see Roy Orbison and the Walker Brothers were the support act.

The girls screamed all through the Walker Brothers act. Couldn't hear a thing.

You could hear a pin drop when Orbison sang but he got great cheers and ovations at the end of each song.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saw many concerts at the City hall. Sometimes sued to go beacause we were bored and had nothing better to do. (It was easier in the days of tickets costing 70p). Interested to read about the organ being worth around a million as I seem to remember Greg Lake during a concert attacking it with what looked like knives before being stopped by someone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest suehobson

Me and a friend booked tickets to see the Groundhogs but they cancelled So we decided to see another band that was new in the charts instead, Called Queen at the city hall. That was about 73,74. We were down the front. Great concert. Wish I d kept the tickets. The support band was called Hustler .Bought a single of thiers .Wonder what happened to them. We all know what happened to Queen. I have all thier music on Vinyl.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When originally opened, the stage of the City Hall was adorned with two huge stone lions which weighed several tons, one either side of the entrance to the Green room in centre stage. The famous conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham hated them with a vengeance as they were "distractions". They were removed years after his death and are presently located outside the Tarmac company offices in Wolverhampton.

Not Wolverhampton they are or were in Matlock.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest tsavo

From Public Art in Sheffield:

Originally in Sheffield City Hall, removed from the city in 1962. Acquired for John Hadfield House, Matlock, Derbyshire for the offices of Tarmac Roadstone. They were built into the front steps of the entrance to this building. The site was sold in 1997 and the lions have moved again to Tarmac Heavy Building Materials UK Ltd., Ettingshall, Wolverhampton

Link to Public Art:

http://public-art.shu.ac.uk/sheffield/hod37.html

....or have they been moved again? Certainly not an easy job to move!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From Public Art in Sheffield:

Originally in Sheffield City Hall, removed from the city in 1962. Acquired for John Hadfield House, Matlock, Derbyshire for the offices of Tarmac Roadstone. They were built into the front steps of the entrance to this building. The site was sold in 1997 and the lions have moved again to Tarmac Heavy Building Materials UK Ltd., Ettingshall, Wolverhampton

Link to Public Art:

http://public-art.shu.ac.uk/sheffield/hod37.html

....or have they been moved again? Certainly not an easy job to move!

Thanks Tsavo for the update. The last time I saw them was in Matlock. :blink:

I always thought Wolverhampton had Wolves not Lions

jiginc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest tsavo

Thanks Tsavo for the update. The last time I saw them was in Matlock. :blink:

I always thought Wolverhampton had Wolves not Lions

jiginc

OUCH! lollol lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The view the stars see of the fabulous City Hall auditorium from the stage.

Hi abcman, moved your post into the main City Hall topic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest jabber

Thanks Tsavo for the update. The last time I saw them was in Matlock. :blink:

I always thought Wolverhampton had Wolves not Lions

jiginc

Hopton Wood Lions: John Hadfield (Chairman of Derbyshire Stone) bought these lions for his company for £600 in the 1960s. They are mythical Assyrian lions with five feet. Would be interested to know where they are now. (google street view does not show them in Wolverhampton - but they may be inside)

Pic of John Hadfield outside John Hadfield House, Matlock (date -probably before 1969)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hopton Wood Lions: John Hadfield (Chairman of Derbyshire Stone) bought these lions for his company for £600 in the 1960s. They are mythical Assyrian lions with five feet. Would be interested to know where they are now. (google street view does not show them in Wolverhampton - but they may be inside)

Pic of John Hadfield outside John Hadfield House, Matlock (date -probably before 1969)

Wecome to the site Jabber, this one about the lions has been a mystery

for years. [ Didn't know they had five feet :o ]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wecome to the site Jabber, this one about the lions has been a mystery

for years. [ Didn't know they had five feet :o ]

I understand they are at Tarmac Heavy Building Materials UK Ltd., Ettingshall, Wolverhampton.

No sign on Google Earth or Map.

May be we should ask that they be given back, Elgin Marbles and the like.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand they are at Tarmac Heavy Building Materials UK Ltd., Ettingshall, Wolverhampton.

No sign on Google Earth or Map.

May be we should ask that they be given back, Elgin Marbles and the like.

Bringing this one back to the fore , do we still not know the where abouts of the lions?

Are they still in Wolverhampton and why did Sheffield let them go in the first place?

That could be s a stupid question, we always seem to sell the family silver.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest jabber

Bringing this one back to the fore , do we still not know the where abouts of the lions?

Are they still in Wolverhampton and why did Sheffield let them go in the first place?

That could be s a stupid question, we always seem to sell the family silver.

John Hadfield (who bought the Lions from Sheffield City Hall for his company - see above) was a Sheffield man. However Derbyshire Stone was based in Matlock and the lions were at this HQ for many years. In the late 1960s Tarmac took over Derbyshire Stone after John Hadfield retired. Tarmac no longer uses John Hadfield House in Matlock and probably removed the lions to another site.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Screenshot 2020-04-09 at 09.44.28.jpg

Sheffield City Hall

The front entrance of Sheffield City Hall back before pedestrianisation of the area

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...