I was interested to read the letter by Richard Mogg in last weeks ‘Journal Postbag’.
Under the heading ‘We can’t lose the City Hall’, Mr Mogg lamented the lack entertainment venues in the city adding that it would be a hammer blow if we were to lose the hall.
This month the City Hall should be celebrating its 60th birthday but alas, as pointed out by Mr Mogg, the venues future is very uncertain.
But let us return to February 1963 when the local headlines proudly announced ‘City’s Great Day’. The City Hall was formally opened by Ald. FJ Moore (chairman of the Victory Fund Committee) who said “The ultimate success of the hall will be gauged rather by the extent of its use than by its income and expenditure account.
Happily it is opened today completely free from crippling dept or external loan charges, and there is already a most encouraging list of forward bookings.”
The idea of a civil hall was first mooted in April 1945 and the citizens of Salisbury and their organisations raised £38,000 towards the total cost of £80,000.
Their contributions more than equalled £1.00 per head of Salisbury’s population. “In very truth, said Ald. Moore, “all through that period, it has been a genuine community effort”.
The City Hall was also opened as a war memorial and, as expressed on the commemorative plaque, this was the city’s “lasting tribute to those who served in the Second World War.”
The Mayor observed that “after years of endeavour and almost insuperable difficulties, a fine hall had been completed. It was for the use of the whole community.”
It would take many words to relate all the events that have happened in the City Hall over the last 60 years. Hopefully its future will brighter than it is at present.
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