Living Dress

I met up with a friend outside Rochdale Town Hall this morning, for an exploration inside the building. It has been subject to a major restoration project, and after years of work the building is finally open to the public. There are still things to finish off - the restaurant opens in May, the former magistrates court will take longer to complete, and externally the public realm has still some way to go.

Externally, it is a wonderful building, one of the best Town Hall exteriors in the country. Internally though it is off the scale spectacular. It looked good when I visited for meetings, but removing all the internal 20th century partitions, suspended ceilings and the rest, and cleaning everything properly, has revealed just how spectacular the interior is. The decoration and sculpture on every conceivable surface is extraordinary. Victorian optimism and elan at its height.

The main blip is the buildings exterior, with The Living Dress sculpture (the result of a partnership between three local women’s groups and Cabasa Carnival Arts) in the foreground. The extra is one end of the Great Hall. It is all prepared for a concert this evening by the Black Dyke Brass Band, winners of the National championships last weekend.

Leaving the site after lunch at the nearby Flying Horse I was treated to the sight of a peregrine falcon swooping low on a kestrel (which got out of the way quick, a near miss) and then a flock of passing pigeons. The peregrines are back nesting on the top of the clock tower.