Saturday, 26 February 2011

The Piece Hall in Halifax is one of the world's top 40 squares

Taken from the Halifax Courier: http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/piece_hall_one_of_world_s_top_40_squares_1_3032852


Well for those of us who know and love the Piece Hall well, this wasn't news - the Piece Hall is such a gem, both atmospherically and architecturally and I spent plenty of time wandering around the Colonnade with me mates when I was a sixth former, and I suspect that tradition has continued given the number of young people in the vintage and alternative shops. 

This shop has been in the Piece Hall about 20 years and is my favourite - it reminds me of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books in the novel 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.  I always nip in before I go on holiday and buy up loads of 90p copies of Maigrets, in proper vintage Penguin crime fiction green, for me to read on the beach!


I also had a quick look in the Art Gallery and saw this fantastic painting from 1946 of New Bank by Tom Whitehead - can't wait to show me dad this because this is just as he's always described it. 


This photo looks like you could be on the Continent eh?

Here's a detail of the Piece Hall Gates with Halifax's coat of arms - it features St John the Baptist's head, a sheep and Halifax's motto, 'Except the Lord, Keep the City'.  
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2 comments:

  1. lellabells4 March 2011 at 02:14

    Please God, don't let em cover it in glass, or fill it with poncey fountains. How about lowering the rent on the shops and encouraging people to use it for what it is, a lovely open air place for ORDINARY (not poncey city types) people to meet, have a coffee, watch the kids play on the grass and do a bit of shopping.

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  2. Northern Lass8 March 2011 at 13:40

    Oh agreed all round Daniella, it's not rocket science surely? That whole bottom row should be filled with cafes and bars where families can hang out of an evening, like on the Continent.

    I remember when we were in the sixth form, nearly every unit was filled and there was a real buzz about the place and it would be so simple to get back to that atmosphere.

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