Drill halls Options

[harribobs]

Chris

Is the leaflet dated?

Reason for asking is that all of the foreground including upto where the troops are, has had buildings on it for obviously a long while (late 19th century terraced properties)

John

It probably is dated, but I didn't take any note of it. but don't forget thats an artist's impression!

the drill hall was opened in 1887, for the 7th Lancs Rifle Volunteers (in 1888 they became the 3rd Vol Batt Manchester Regiment)

I don't know when Ashton's terraces where built up, but thats around the time when they would have started

[John Hartley]

Thanks Chris. I'll have a nosy next time I'm in town. I have a feeling the terrace has a date plaque.

John

[Graeme Fisher]

At Bromsgrove, don't know what the future is:



A close up of the badge, 8th Worcesters:

Up until a couple of years ago, it was used by an electricians' company.

Previously used as a temporary sorting office by the then GPO.

Another waste of a usefully-sized hall which could benefit the communityin some way.

Great pictures, thanks.
Graeme

[Terry Carter]

Hello Graeme

Did you ever find any pictures of Aston Barracks, the home of the 8th Bn, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment ?

I have never seen them. Just know of their location on old maps.

regards

Terry Carter

[Graeme Fisher]

Unfortunately not, Terry.

If i do, you'll be the first to know!

Graeme

[geoff501]

On the side of the old labour exchange, Redditch, now a doctor's surgery.
Not sure if the drill hall was next door - the old bus depot.

[Graeme Fisher]

Thanks, Geoff

I'm of the impression that the drill hall was behind the viewer, demolished to make way for the Redditch Raceway (or is that ring road?)

Nice that they kept the crest.

[geoff501]

Graeme,
you are right, I vaguely remember this red brick building which would have been behind me to the the right. I was recently told that the bus station was used as a drill hall - perhaps this was WW2. The same fellow also told me (30 years ago) that a ridge tile was damaged on the drill hall roof by a rifle shot (WW2). Not sure if this was true! Also took a wider angle photo, complete with graffitti. Fortunately the crest is out of reach of spray cans.

[geoff501]

(Geoff: your website is fascinating!)

The crypto stuff? Did you find the link to Breaking German Wehrmacht Ciphers?

[Peter Leonard]

Hi Graeme,

first timer on this Drill Hall thread. I've done some work with Rufus Leonard Design Consultants who occupy the Old Drill Hall at Farringdon in London. My collecting habit is the London Rifle Brigade otherwise known as the 5th London. Their Drill Hall come Museum at 130 Bunhill Row EC in the City of London was closed down in the early 1960's and some of the archive was transferred to the guildhall and some to the IWM. I am recipient of a 2nd Ypres Field Pocket Notebook owned by Sgt Frank Legg which had been originally plucked out of therubbish bin by a LRB collector who happened to be there when they were destroying part of the stuff !

I have a 1906 LRB Diary with pictures of: the Drill Hall Interior, the Canteen, the Recreation and Billiard Room and the Morris Tube Range - PM me if you'd like photographs of these.

One question for you and the pals - can anyone provide me with a photograph of the LRB Drill Hall and Museum before it was closed - 1950/60's please ?

Thanks

Peter Leonard

[Charles Fair]

Hi Graeme

I have managed to track down some photos of the interior of the 19th Londons drill hall in 76 Camden High Street. Please email me and I can email copies to you.

Whilst in Cornwall over the Easter weekend I vistied the Drill Hall at Falmouth and took some better photos. Happy to send these to you. It is still up for sale, and still in need of repair. However, it does appear to be in use, seeming to be some sort of indoor market for secondhand clothes with numerous stalls. I was able to go inside and have a look around the hall. Couldnt see any plaques/memorials etc though the walls were largely covered up.

I also found the drill hall in Helston, now the folk museum: click here. The museum extended into the drill hall in 1999. I have several photos for you of the exterior.

Charles

[Deleted_Poppy Lou_*]

 Drill_Hall1.jpg ( 21.51K ) Number of downloads: 11
 Drill_Hall2.jpg ( 10.96K ) Number of downloads: 14
 drillhallmikeduffy.jpg ( 37.47K ) Number of downloads: 12

Graeme's database lists the drill hall at Walmsley Street. I have no idea where that was cos I don't know the place.

There are images of the drill hall at Stalydridge on the Tameside Archives site Images section. Search on Drill hall. One is a poignant photo of men not far out of adolescence lined up for training. When I think what I was doing when I was their age, or more relevantly what the lads I knew were doing, and the biggest question of an evening was whether to go to the Vine or the Bird In Hand.....

Gwyn

Hello John and Dragon,
The drill hall in Stalybridge was in an area of the town called Castle Hall - a built up area of hundreds of small terraced houses. Its exact location was Astley Street, between Walmsley Street and Springbank Street - Vaudrey Street was a few blocks away. I'm pretty sure it was demolished in the 1960's, I remember it being used as a roller skating rink for a short time when I was a child and my older sister remembers concerts being held there in the 1950's.
Don't know if this will work but I'm going to try and attach a few images - one of the outside of the building, one showing recruits inside the building and one taken outside looking down Walmsley Street.
Incidentally, as well as the " Rifleman " being in the Guiness Book of Records as the pub with the longest name, Stalybridge also has the pub with the shortest name - the Q.
Hope this is of use.

[John Hartley]

Hello Poppy Lou & welcome to the Forum

I'm sure Graeme will appreciate the photos you have. I've already sent him photos of the area as it is now. The only existing trace is an arched entrance doorway that goes through the line of terrced houses at the other end of the site from that shown in your photo.

John

[Jim Clay]

Wonderful photos, Poppy Lou, and I know Graeme will be well pleased to see 'em. Welcome to the Forum BTW.

Jim

[Ken Wayman]

Hi Graeme

Two I know of in my immediate area

1/5 South Staffordshire in Walsall - still in existence.
1st/2nd North Midland Coy, Royal Engineers - still in existence in Cannock.

If you haven't details of theses already I' m happy to photograph them and seek out relevant info for you.

All the best

Ken

[Dragon]

Having just seen these messages, I'll post a holding reply until Graeme is able to visit the forum himself.

PoppyLou, thank you very much. Where we do not have copyright permissions to use images on the website, we have an alternative. If I send you an email with some information, would you be able to help me locate exactly where the drill hall was, please?

I'd also like to ask you about your memories of the drill hall, for the Nostalgia pages, to which Jim, above, has contributed some lovely memories of his past.

Graeme's base information on Stalybridge comes from Kelly's Directory 1904, so if there is confusion about the accuracy of the address, blame Kelly or his assistants! Everything I've seen has shown me that Graeme has been absolutely meticulous in his data gathering.

Ken, looking at the Staffordshire section with the individual towns' webpages which we have already completed, I see that Graeme has several photos of Walsall, but it doesn't look as if there's one of Cannock, unless I missed it when I was putting photos to towns, which is quite possible. Therefore, a picture would be great! Thanks.

Any local information, source data, memories or snippets which can be added are always welcome, to bring the buildings alive. I've tried to take interior photos too, where possible.

Many thanks to both of you. I'm certain Graeme will be very appreciative.

Gwyn

This post has been edited by Dragon: May 14 2006, 01:27 AM

[Deleted_Poppy Lou_*]

I will be pleased to share my memories - and those of my husband, sister and others. Will await your email.
John's ( or is it Jim?) information regarding the archway is I'm afraid incorrect, there is nothing at all left standing of the drill hall. And it was demolished early 70's so my husband says, prior to this it was used by army cadets as their HQ and then left empty- to be vanalised I'm sorry to say.

[John Hartley]

.
John's ( or is it Jim?) information regarding the archway is I'm afraid incorrect, there is nothing at all left standing of the drill hall.

Poppy Lou

If you look at the photo in my post #469, you'll see the archway. If you're familiar with the street, I'm sure that you'll agree that it cannot be anything other than an entrance into what would have been the drill parade ground. The full set of photos I took for Graeme also show it from the "other side", taken from the uphill street in the photo you post, and across what are now the back gardens of the houses.

John

[Deleted_Poppy Lou_*]

Poppy Lou

If you look at the photo in my post #469, you'll see the archway. If you're familiar with the street, I'm sure that you'll agree that it cannot be anything other than an entrance into what would have been the drill parade ground. The full set of photos I took for Graeme also show it from the "other side", taken from the uphill street in the photo you post, and across what are now the back gardens of the houses.

John

Hello John,
I'm attaching part of an old map of Stalybridge ( 1897 ) which clearly shows the position of the Drill Hall. As you will see, Vaudrey Street was three blocks away. There was a Foresters Hall on Vaudrey Street, before my time, which I believe was used by many organisations for many different reasons.
The type of arch entrance on your photograph was quite common in Castle Hall, they generally led on to large shared back yards and some were the entrances to stables. I have a book " Streets away from Paradise " written by Eli Hague which includes a chapter on his memories of the Drill Hall when he was a lad.
There's nothing in the book to say I can't copy this and send it to you if you're interested.
Just out of interest, what was the name of the " chippy " you mentioned in a previous posting?
Poppy Lou

[Deleted_Poppy Lou_*]

 stalybridgemap.jpg ( 83.63K ) Number of downloads: 14

Hello John,
I'm attaching part of an old map of Stalybridge ( 1897 ) which clearly shows the position of the Drill Hall. As you will see, Vaudrey Street was three blocks away. There was a Foresters Hall on Vaudrey Street, before my time, which I believe was used by many organisations for many different reasons.
The type of arch entrance on your photograph was quite common in Castle Hall, they generally led on to large shared back yards and some were the entrances to stables. I have a book " Streets away from Paradise " written by Eli Hague which includes a chapter on his memories of the Drill Hall when he was a lad.
There's nothing in the book to say I can't copy this and send it to you if you're interested.
Just out of interest, what was the name of the " chippy " you mentioned in a previous posting?
Poppy Lou

Looks like my attachment didn't work so I'll try again

[Deleted_Poppy Lou_*]

 stalybridgemap.jpg ( 83.63K ) Number of downloads: 14


Looks like my attachment didn't work so I'll try again

The triangle you see opposite the Drill Hall was a patch of grass used for gun practice
Poppy Lou

[Dragon]

Hello Poppy Lou

I've sent you an email via the forum system. (It'll come into your email account with the sender listed as 'Great War Forum' and may go straight into spam.)

That map is fantastic. My email included something about the 1882 map, which is clearly redundant as yours is so much better and clearer.

Would it be possible for me to have a copy of the map and the extracts of memories which you mention? Obviously I wouldn't reproduce it (copyright) but I'd like to read it. Do you know the original source of the map? The email will explain why I'm keen to know.

I'm sorry if I seem vague about some things in my answers to you in this thread. A huge amount of work has been invested in the website and I don't want to share my ideas and concepts publicly before the site is live. That's also why I often remove my own photos after a short time. They'll be available for public view under my terms and my copyright not the forum copyright in due course. Until then, I guard closely my own intellectual property.

I'll make contact about personal memories.

Gwyn

[Dragon]

For interest, Graeme's database lists the Stalybridge drill hall as being built in 1880 at a cost of over £5000. Source is Kelly, 1896 and 1914. I mistakenly wrote 1904 below, but it was half past two in the morning.... The fact that Astley street adjoins Walmsley street explains Kelly's reference to Walmsley street - he sometimes makes an error if a building is on a corner or if one street runs into another. Newark is an example of a place where I had to search closely to track down the right address of one of its drill halls, when I did a site visit there to take photos. Sometimes so much is clarified or confirmed when one sees a contemporary map.

Having viewed the Historical Directories to check, I see that Kelly records the Foresters Hall on Vaudrey street as a separate building. Again, I mention this just for interest.

Gwyn

[Deleted_Poppy Lou_*]

Hello Gwyn,
I haven't received your email, unless I've deleted it by mistake. I get so much spam that sometimes I do this.
I'll check again tomorrow, if it's not there I'll let you know.
Will send you copies of map etc.
Map can be obtained from http:/www.alangodfreymaps.co.uk/acatalog/
Click England - Northern England - Cheshire - NE Cheshire (Tameside) and it's ref Ch 3.10 Stalybridge 1897 and costs £2.20
Poppy Lou

[Dragon]

Thanks, Poppy Lou.

I have a copy so I can resend (and take out the superfluous refs to the map I mentioned).

Interesting Stalybridge website, by the way. Is it your own? The pictures are evocative; images to treasure.

Gwyn