Dewsbury Town Hall.

Visited after seeing 'Sara' but more talk of her later !, as we were passing it came to my attention that i might be able to blag our way inside for a photo shoot well me and Mutilated_Pixie that is, car parked n off we popped.........got to the main stairs going to the building when we got stopped.......are you going to the beer festival !, my reply.....no were here for a photo shoot inside the building, Hmmmmm have you permission......Errrr no.....then you will need to see the caretaker, next min the caretaker comes to us I explain what we want to do and well cut a long story short this caretaker could not have been more helpful and treat us like one of the royals, guided tour and historical talk round every where within the building/clock tower/roof/court room/cells you name it boy he was up for it like BIG STYLE !!!...

The Town Hall was built during the reign of Queen Victoria and the foundation stone was laid at 2.30pm on the 12th of October 1886 this building was completed in 1889 and officially opened on Tuesday the 17th September 1889 by the Mayor of the time Alderman John Walker J.P., on this day it was declared a general holiday and several brass bands played here.
The Town Hall was built to cater for the towns needs including civic officers including the town clerk/schools/lighting/highways/sewerage/town planning including the police station and the courts.
The site of the Town Hall was chosen to overlook the Market place which was cobbled and even had a shelter in the centre which was known as 'Cabmans Shelter' as it served as a pick up point for horse drawn carriages. Looking to the right of the entrance to the Victoria Hall are two windows the first depicts the various aspects of Dewsbury trade and the background is a detailed street map of the town centre as it was in the fifty's, the former window was destroyed in 1940 during WW2.

The stained glass was something else as he explained they had cleaned these form pure black to there near original condition.

The window to which this writing refers is to the foyer of the town hall and is second from the main entrance of the Victoria hall. Arms of the Lords of the Manor of Dewsbury Illustrated on the stained glass window recently placed in the new town hall, Dewsbury opened on the 17th September 1889. The window is a fine specimen of glass stainer's art and was supplied by the eminent firm of Winfield's Ltd of Birmingham.

Main stairway all marble.

The Judges room where he got dressed for Court.

ALL RISE FOR THE REET HONOURABLE 

C.C.M.

Time for a step back in time.

MONDAY, JANUARY 5 1981: MURDER AND THEFT CHARGES

At Dewsbury Magistrates' Court, Court Clerk Dean Gardener asked: "Are you Peter William Sutcliffe, of 6 Garden Lane, Heaton, Bradford?" After an affirmative response, he continued: "You are accused that between 16 November and 19 November 1980 you did murder Jacqueline Hill against the peace of our Sovereign Lady the Queen. Further, you are charged that at Mirfield, between 13 November and 2 January, you stole two motor vehicle registration-plates to the total value of 50p, the property of Cyril Bamforth."

The County prosecuting solicitor, Maurice Shaffner, stated that Sutcliffe was not legally represented. Sutcliffe replied in the negative when asked whether he wanted reporting restrictions lifted. The hearing lasted about five minutes.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20 1981: MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES

At Dewsbury Magistrates' Court, Peter William Sutcliffe was committed for trial accused of 13 murders and seven attempted murders, and transferred to Leeds Crown Court. During a 14 minute hearing, David Kyle, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, made the application for Sutcliffe's committal for trial under a procedure where an accused person can be committed for trial without oral evidence being given. The prosecution also requested, and the magistrates agreed, to the withdrawal of one charge of the theft of number plates worth 50p.

Kerry Macgill, defending, accepted committal without oral evidence. He did not make any applications for bail or for the lifting of reporting restrictions. He did apply for two counsel to represent Sutcliffe at his trial.

The murder charges were of: Wilma McCann, 24, of Scott Hall Avenue, Chapeltown, at Leeds, on October 30 1975; Emily Monica Jackson, 42, of Back Green, Churwell, Morley, at Leeds, on or about January 20 1976; Irene Richardson, 28, of Cowper Steet, Leeds, at Leeds, on or about February 6 1977; Patricia Atkinson, 33, of Oak Avenue, Manningham, in Bradford, on or about April 23 1977; Jayne Michelle McDonald, 16, of Scott Hall Avenue, Chapeltown, at Leeds, on June 26 1977; Jean Bernadette Jordan (Royle), 20, of Lingbeck Cresent, Hulme, Manchester, at Manchester, between September 30 1977 and October 11 1977; Yvonne Ann Pearson, 22, of Woodbury Street, Bradford, at Bradford, between January 20 and March 26 1978; Helen Maria Rytka, 18, of Elmwood Avenue, Birkby, Huddersfield, between January 30 and February 4 1978; Vera Evelyn Millward, 40, of Grenham Avenue, Hulme, Manchester, at Manchester, on or about May 16 1978; Josephine Anne Whitaker, 19, of Ivy Street, Halifax, at Halifax, on or about April 4 1979; Barbara Janine Leach, 20, of Grove Terrace, Bradford, at Bradford, between September 1 and September 4 1979; Marguerite Walls, 47, of New Park Croft, Farsley, Leeds, at Farsley, on or about August 20 1980; Jacqueline Hill, 20, of Lupton Flats, Headingley, at Headingley, Leeds, between November 16 and November 19 1980.

The attempted murders charges were of: Anna Patricia Rogulskyj, 39, at Keighley, on July 5 1975; Olive Smelt, 51, at Halifax, on or about August 15 1975; Marcella Claxton, 23, at Leeds, on May 9 1976; Maureen Long, 46, at Bradford, on July 10 1977, Marilyn Moore, 28, at Leeds, on December 14 1977; Upadhya Nadavathy Bandara, 34, at Leeds, on September 24 1980; Teresa Simone Sykes, 16, at Huddersfield, on November 5 1980.

TUESDAY, APRIL 14 1981: TRANSFER TO OLD BAILEY FOR TRIAL

A Touch of Frost and Emmerdale have been recorded within this room and 

several other recording studios have hired the room at £3000 per day.

Looking down the road to the cells.

Time to hit the bell tower and roof shots.

First a look at the original weights for the windings of the 

clock which sadly has been changed to motorised.

Looking back down a set of stairs on the way to the bells.

Up on the roof.

Back down for the cells. Within this cell we were told that the 

Urinal is about where the bed of the Yorkshire ripper was...

The Mayors Jewelry

Before the renovation into officers.

Lights and buzzer for the police and cells.

the caretaker before we left ended up printing out 20 pages of history
and gave me all the maps of the building on all floors. We can not thank
  him enough....top bloke !