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Children behind bars
Why problem Preston youngsters as young as eight are getting a taste of prison: See tomorrow’s LEP
Pillars talk
NEW ROLES: From left, Janet Simpson, Edward Carson, Robert Lowe and Alan Bamber with the pillars from the Old Preston
Public Hall which they are turning into an orangery at Gibbon Bridge Hotel. Below: Reader Roy Payne’s 1973 photo of the hall
If they could, they’d tell
great stories of Preston’s
Public Hall...now they are
to bear witness of a very
different kind...with fruit...
A FORGOTTEN
part of Preston’s histo-
ry is being revitalised .
. . in an orangery.
The six giant pillars were
rescued from the city’s old
Public Hall, which was
once attached to the Corn
Exchange in Lune Street.
The historic venue stood in
Preston for 165 years before
being demolished in 1989.
Famous for its sprung floor,
it played host to the Beatles,
Led Zeppelin, Franz Lizst,
Anna Pavlova and a contro-
versial Fascist rally organised
by Sir Oswald Mosley in 1934.
But Janet Simpson, who
regularly danced at the hall,
refused to let that history die
and bought its well-known
by Chris Visser
chris.visser@lep.co.uk
cream pillars. The hotel pro-
prietor, who runs the Gibbon
Bridge Hotel in Chipping,
hopes they will add a special
flavour to a new orangery she
is building to host weddings. It
is thought to be the only
“wedding orangery” in the
county.
She said: “I bought the pil-
lars when the hall was pulled
down. I wanted them as I
thought it would be such a
shame for them to be demol-
ished.
“The hall was special. It had
a wonderful spring floor for
dancing. I used to dance there
doing a bit of anything, in-
cluding rock and roll and
going to the farmers’ ball
dance.
“I also went to see Vera
Lynn perform there in the six-
ties. The orangeries are quite
popular now – I will be grow-
ing oranges. It’s an old thing
to do from time gone before.”
Edward Carson, owner of
Martin Edwards builders’
merchants in Bamber Bridge,
is helping to restore the pillars
after he helped rescue them
21 years ago.
He said: “We originally
bought them when we were
involved in the demolition. It
was a big job.
“They are quite ornate but
are nothing too over-the-top.”
Aidan Turner-Bishop,
chairman of the Preston and
South Ribble Civic Trust,
said: “The Public Hall will
Evening Post, Tuesday, February 23, 2010 3
Hall in a night’s work...
THE public performed in the old hall, as this 1972 picture
of schoolchildren at a schools music event shows
LEGENDS: Franz Liszt
(above) and pop acts
such as the Beatles
(right) in 1963,
graced the stage
Picture from LEP reader Janet Kayley
evoke many memories for
older readers as it was the
place, even until the age of the
Beatles, who played there in
their early days, where boys
danced with girls.
“Many famous artistes per-
formed there such as Franz
Lizst and Anna Pavlova. It
even had a Fascist rally there
in 1934 addressed by Oswald
Mosley.
“I suspect that Public Hall
souvenirs and memories are
squirrelled away in many
homes.”
Preston man Brian Bell,
who had his own film compa-
ny for many years, filmed the
demolition of the building.
Featured on the lep.co.uk
website, it gives an insight into
the Public Hall’s long history.