Rochdale Town Hall

Posted By: Liz Thirsk
Date Posted: 13/10/2007

I know other councillors, at least those of the same political persuasion as I, will  be telling you about the wonderful dinner we had last night in the great hall at Rochdale Town Hall.

Liberal Democrats from all over the North West met together to eat dinner with Sir “Ming” Campbell.

The splendid dinner and the wonderful entertainment by the Rochdale Youth Orchestra and our very own Frank Sinatra (Cllr Swift) were only outshone by the wonderful surroundings of the great hall.

I took my sister-in-law with me, she is Irish from Co. Sligo but has lived in Bury for more than 20 years, and she said that she has never been in such a magnificent building before, here or back home in Ireland.

Cllr Keith Swift very kindly looked after Mary for me while I had my photograph taken with Sir Ming.

When I got back to her she was being enthralled by the history of the Town Hall.

I wonder how many of you have heard the story of the marble statue of the little girl holding a tambourine that stands in the front entrance hall. We are informed that legend has it that an Ancient Greek soldier was sent to war, but before he left he  was told by the Greek Gods that he would be guaranteed to return alive if he would agree that the first person he saw when he returned from war would be turned into a pillar of salt. The warrior agreed and as he was returning home his daughter ran from the house playing her tambourine to rejoice in his safe return and as he looked towards her she was turned into a pillar of salt.

Also we were shown that the there is a flaw in the architecture in committee room 3. It seems that one of the arches was built out on symmetry with the others, this we are told was because the builders of the Town Hall felt that it would be wrong to try to achieve perfection as only God is perfect.

There are so many wonderful things to see from the large painting depicting the signing of the Magna Carta in the great hall to the very impressive council chamber right down to the old prison cells in the cellar, unused since the magistrates court was moved from the town hall 

Escorted tours of the town hall are available by request and I think it would prove to be a lovely day out for anybody.