How The Piece Hall transformed the fortunes of Halifax
How it once looked: A vintage engraving of the Sunday School Jubilee Commemoration at the Piece Hall, Halifax. From The Graphic,1871. Getty
‘It’s funny, when you meet heroes or celebrities, you feel like you know them, so find yourself having mundane conversations about banana bread or such like. You then have to pinch yourself that you’re speaking to Richard Hawley, or whoever it might be, but that’s testament to the artists we’ve had play at The Piece Hall. Fortunately, we haven’t had any divas, yet, and the artists love hearing about the building and its history.
‘A lot of people in Halifax know me and that's a good and bad thing. They tell me when I’m doing well and they tell me when I’m not doing so well because they’re very proud of this building, and they’re very proud of what we do here,’ remarks Nicky who began her career in advertising and marketing, before moving into regeneration and renovation projects.
‘The Piece Hall was one of the first buildings my husband introduced me to. The moment I saw it, I thought it was glorious, but needed some TLC as it was very run-down. There were a few shops, but people weren't really visiting it or using it in a way they do now,’ she explains. Inspired by the likes of St Mark’s Square in Venice, one of her favourite cities, Nicky’s vision was to create an engaging space that brought people together. ‘I wanted to bring The Piece Hall alive and animate it with shops and eateries, somewhere to escape to and enjoy wonderful experiences surrounded by the beautiful Calder Valley,’ says Nicky whose ambition is to make The Piece Hall world-renowned.
‘It requires a lot of maintenance and a lot of care, and if we're going to keep it free for everybody to visit, which is our intention, that requires a lot of activity in terms of events.
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