An occasional series celebrating our municipal history and in particular our Town Halls
It is all too easy to become cynical about public service and the achievements of local government.
Back in the 19th century when the “Northern powerhouse” was getting its first airing and cities like Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle on Tyne were making the country’s wealth local government was at the centre of improving the lives of local people.
As Sidney Webb said the “municipalities have done most to socialize our industrial life.” And so a resident of Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow could benefit from municipal supplies of water, gas and electricity, travel on municipally owned trams and buses, walk through a municipally maintained park while knowing his children were being educated in municipally run schools.
“Glasgow builds and maintains seven public ‘common lodging houses’; Liverpool provides science lectures; Manchester builds and stocks an art gallery; Birmingham runs schools of design; Leeds creates extensive cattle markets; and Bradford supplies water below cost price.
There are nearly one hundred free libraries and reading rooms. The minor services now performed by public bodies are innumerable.”*
And all of that was evidenced not only in the Corporation parks and schools and baths but in the town halls which were solid examples of both civic pride and local democracy.
Which brings me to Peter’s painting of Leigh Town Hall, which was built in 1907 after three years in the making and which has been described by Nicholas Pevsner as "An exceptionally good building, expressive yet not showy."
So that just leaves me to wait for Peter to paint more of our great Northern Town Halls, and perhaps even some of those I knew from growing up in London which I can write about in the series.
Not so much a challenge more a statement of intent
Painting; Leigh Town Hall, © 2014 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures,
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
Facebook: Paintings from Pictures
* Webb, Sidney, from Historic, Fabian Essays in Socialism 1889
 |
| Leigh Town Hall |
Back in the 19th century when the “Northern powerhouse” was getting its first airing and cities like Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle on Tyne were making the country’s wealth local government was at the centre of improving the lives of local people.
As Sidney Webb said the “municipalities have done most to socialize our industrial life.” And so a resident of Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow could benefit from municipal supplies of water, gas and electricity, travel on municipally owned trams and buses, walk through a municipally maintained park while knowing his children were being educated in municipally run schools.
“Glasgow builds and maintains seven public ‘common lodging houses’; Liverpool provides science lectures; Manchester builds and stocks an art gallery; Birmingham runs schools of design; Leeds creates extensive cattle markets; and Bradford supplies water below cost price.
There are nearly one hundred free libraries and reading rooms. The minor services now performed by public bodies are innumerable.”*
And all of that was evidenced not only in the Corporation parks and schools and baths but in the town halls which were solid examples of both civic pride and local democracy.
Which brings me to Peter’s painting of Leigh Town Hall, which was built in 1907 after three years in the making and which has been described by Nicholas Pevsner as "An exceptionally good building, expressive yet not showy."
So that just leaves me to wait for Peter to paint more of our great Northern Town Halls, and perhaps even some of those I knew from growing up in London which I can write about in the series.
Not so much a challenge more a statement of intent
Painting; Leigh Town Hall, © 2014 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures,
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
Facebook: Paintings from Pictures
* Webb, Sidney, from Historic, Fabian Essays in Socialism 1889
No comments:
Post a Comment