our drill hall is now used for the army and air cadets, its a bit derelict though
dave
p.s, its in Bexhill On Sea , East Sussex, forgot to mention that

Stewart, due to a bad connection, it took ages to download, but boy, was it worth it!

The photos are very good.

Thanks

Graeme

Thanks, Dave, is it the one next to the leisure centre in Downs road?

Why are there two of them? Is Bexhill that affluent? One to use, one spare.....

Thanks

Graeme

yes it is , why are you local
dave

well as far as i know it was always drill hall not drill halls. It was just designed with two halls i suppose. However they are not very big. One is now derelict and out of use and one is used for the cadets, although that one is in poor nick.
dave

hulo sky........

It is.

One thanks one.

G

Dave

O no.

But ask the family why I holiday in the most obscure places.....

Cheers

Graeme

Hi

I love old drill halls and have found a few here in Orkney. Most survive here as private homes etc. as there has been very little redevelopment in rural areas. I even found one on Sanday (together with a 64pr RML battery and a rifle range) that the 'official' history of the Orkney and Shetland Volunteers never mentioned existing. In some cases I have even located the original ordnance (a 64pr RML rusting away in a farmyard, for instance.). Kirkwall TA centre is, unfortunately, a horrible pebbledashed 1970s monstrosity. Our, once large TA is now an infantry platoon shared with Shetland (21 men and women based in Orkney), so, unless the new counter terrorism/civil defence role saves them I think the whole site (on which many buildings have already be demolished) will soon go for development - being in a prime location in Kirkwall.

Whilst doing some research for a post on tank-net.org I came across some minutes of a Defence Committee meeting describing the sale of former TA assets that some of you may find poignient (if you're a sad old ****** like me!):

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-offic.../93/2112002.htm

A fascinating read, Chris.

As far as the stuff on orkney goes, get out here with your camera and record it all, before it goes. Your local library will advise the nearest archive facility who should gratefully receive your endeavours.

Do it now, cos no-one else will; and it shall all be lost.

Sad old ******? No, guardian of our heritage....


Graeme

The Drill Hall in Cheadle, Cheshire. Now the "village hall" and,s eemingly used almost exclusively for play groups and other assorted kiddie activities.

Thanks, John.

Nice to know that the place has been recycled, and that our future generations are benfitting from the facilities.

Hopefully this lot won't have to march away.......

Graeme

Graeme

I have just attended a business meeting held in the Regimental Training Wing ( Building (RTWB) of 29 Commando Regt. RA. in Plymouth. The Regiment is based at The Royal Citadel on the Hoe and the RTWB is just across the road behind the Citadel. The building was opened in 1912 as a drill hall for Devon RGA (TF). It became the RTWB in 1987. I didn't have my camera with me however I am due to go back shortly for another meeting and I will take some pics then.

Dave

Wow. Theres just so much knowledge around.

Can anyone tell me of 5th Bedfords (TA) Drill halls please?

Thank you
Steve

Dave - lovely info.

Why isn't your camera in your pocket at all times?

Seriously - most grateful.

Thanks

Graeme

Steve

The 5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment was dispersed thus:

HQ and A Company at Gwyn Street, Bedford
B and C Companies in Luton at premises in Old Bedford rd, now a leisure centre,
D Co. in Biggleswade with drill stations at Sandy, Arlesey, and St. Neots,
E Co. at Ampthill with a drill station at Olney,
F Co. at Luton, drill stations at Dunstable (Church St) and Leighton Buzzard (quite possibly the Town Hall)
G Co Fletton and Yaxley,
H Co at Huntingdon, St.Ives and Ramsey.

If anyone can provide an address for any of these, I'd be grateful.

Hope it helps

Graeme

Graeme

I may be able to obtain a plan of the Devon RGA Drill Hall. I have mislaid your postal address. Please e-mail it off-forum if you would like me to try.

Dave

Graeme

I will be in Plymouth the week after next and will take some photos then.
Mean time the Drill Hall is indicated by the arrow on this photo.

Dave

Nice one, Dave.

How did you get so high up to take the photo?

Graeme

Graeme

I didn't. Photo courtesy of the Regiment.... I have contacts!

Dave

Meant to post in this Topic. Started new topic instead.

My wife has just started work as the Bar Manager of The St Andrews Hotel in Lhanbryde, Scotland which is built around the villages Drill Hall (still recognisable as such) She would be very grateful of any information as to who used the hall (The building housing Morays Local Collection suffered fire, little lost but makes research difficult). She would like to include some reference to the Men who used the hall in the Bar itself. I will forward some pictures of the hall for your database.
Cheers
R. Urquhart

The offer of pictures is, as always, gratefully received.

I have precious little on this particular location, but it is listed as being a drill station of the G company of the 6th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. The 6th Battalion had its main premises at Garmouth, Lhanbryde would have been perhaps half a company strength, and the building not necessarily built primarily as a military location.

More on 6th Bn on the mothersite.

Thanks

Graeme

I think I ought to explain that I’ve deleted some of my photos and comments from this thread. Graeme has good copies of all my pictures, so I didn’t think there was any point in them sitting on here just slowing down the pages’ loading speed.

That’s all, no other agenda.

Gwyn

Photos, like drill halls, don't always remain; swept away in the name of progress.

Seriously, tho', Gwyn has pointed out that I have copies of lots of picures and will share with all and sundry - just ask.

(He says - "Where's that thingy I put on the side the other day?" She says "Oh, I tidied it up." He thinks "Lost, then....")

Thanks Gwyn, for the photos and the clean up.

I hope it doesn’t look as if I was tidying up thoughtlessly.

I don’t see other people’s threads as a showcase for my own thoughts; I can do that on my own website if I want to. Anything I have to say about anything isn’t so essential that it ought to be preserved for ever and the same applies to my poor quality pictures and compressions. I’d posted quite a lot of photos in this topic and they all take time to download. I felt that the important focus of this thread was Graeme’s appeal for information and pictures and if superfluous postings of photos or comments by me was slowing down pages, they ought to go.

I’d have taken even more out had I not been conscious of leaving some people’s messages sitting without a context. Personally, if a thread takes forever to load because of photos, I give up and don’t bother reading it. I didn’t want this to be the case with Graeme’s quest for material, because I think that is valuable and important. It deserves pinning and highlighting, not sliding round somewhere in a collection of threads.

As I described in a thread of my own here a couple of weeks ago, I try regularly to prune out my own postings where I can when they’ve ‘expired’. I keep copies of almost everything I’ve ever posted on internet forums and obviously of all my own photos. So nothing I have removed is 'lost'.

I am sorry if I’ve done the wrong thing, but my primary motive was to help to enable people to see what was important.

I apologise this isn’t my usual coherent and structured writing because I am actually extremely distressed and utterly mortified that I have made a misjudgment despite good intentions.

Gwyn

Oops.

I MEANT to say, thanks, Gwyn, I hadn't considered the fact that jpegs, whilst relevant to the posts they're attached to, do rather fill the place up.

I AM grateful for the pruning, and publicly apologise for the flippancy and easily misconstrued tone.
A number of people have been (and still are) incredibly valuable to the project - you know who you are. Anyone who takes time to photograph places and premises, writes something, even just sends a one line email with an address, provides as valuable a contribution as the stuff I've done so far.
Perhaps now's the time for me to develop this as a website so people can see what's cooking..... Watch this space (in a few months!)

In between times, I'm more than happy to share stuff with anyone who asks.

Graeme

I appreciate your writing this, Graeme. Thank you.

I’ve said to you by email today that I thought I could put my pictures on a dedicated page on my website, with thumbnails, and give you a link, so that should anyone be interested, they would be there and not slowing down your thread. It would mean that I could use my better quality ones at a higher resolution and not the lower quality compressions. I could make it better still when the newly designed site is completed.

Maybe when I’ve run out of cows, Cow of the Day might become Drill Hall of the Week...

Gwyn

Gwyn beomes Drill Hall Pal!

Moosic to my ears.

Graeme

Graeme

Have you seen this one?

http://www.tnunn.ndo.co.uk/everyman.htm

Dave

Thanks, Dave.

According to the 1914 Kelly's Directory,
‘7th Battalion Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment); A Co., Head Quarters, Drill Hall, Holly Bush vale, Heath st. Hampstead NW.’

Seems as though it had a mere thirty two year spell as a drill hall before the thespians replaced the Terriers.....

Graeme

Hello Graeme

These are two of several I took in Lincoln, placed here at a low resolution, so apologies for the lack of architectural detailing. It’s been converted into an arts centre, which in my opinion is an exciting and vibrant building.

By the time you read this, I hope I’ll have emailed you several, more varied pictures at higher resolutions and therefore showing more details, plus some commentary which I don’t want to share with all and sundry on the Internet. (Unfortunately I’m still frustratingly slow with my new replacement scanner.) Please check your spam folder!

Gwyn

Thanks, Gwyn (DHP)

It's nice to know that this place has won a new lease of life.

Photos received, thanks, and if anyone wishes to see the internal shots of Lincoln drill hall, just ask........

Can I be cheeky and ask if Rhyl has appeared in this thread? It just saves me wading through 8 pages........

Postscript to my previous three pictures: which were in posts I have now removed because the pictures have been wiped and it was pretty pointless having posts w/o pictures.
Plaque says 'This tablet records the thanks of the 8th C.R.V. to the Town' and the date 1872.

Graeme knows which town this is.

Gwyn

Gwyn proposes, unknowingly, a competition: guess the address.

What is the town associated with the 8th C.R.V. as pictured by the Dragon?

Answers on a postcard........

First prize is the smugness of knowing where it is - answer is published next week.

Thanks, Gwyn, for the images of a drill hall that survives by redevelopment. Many more fall to the bulldozer daily. Blame Prescott and Brownfields.

Be as cheeky as you like, Andrew.

Rhyl has two entries in the database, as the home of C Company, 5th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and a section of B squadron Denbeighshire Hussars.

Anything else that anyone can add is a bonus.

Graeme

Got any Manchesters' drill halls yet?

5th Battalion in Wigan, not sure exactly where
6th Battalion in Stretford Road, Hulme, since demolished
7th Battalion, Burlington Street Manchester, until recently was the MacDougall Sports Centre of Manchester Univ., but now I think closed and to be demolished
8th Battalion Ardwick Green, still home to C (Manchester) Company of the Kings and Cheshire Regiment (TA)
9th Battalion, Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne still in use by cadets of some description
10th Battalion, Rifle Street, Oldham, demolished

I had hoped that Burlington Street might get an archaeological recording before it closed, but I'm not sure that it did. Interesting project, though. Do you know of the Fortress Study Group? There may be some members of that group who are interested in the research you're doing.

Cheers

Graeme,
Sorry, can't add anything, but I can get you a (modern) photo if that's of any use. Let me know.

Is that so? It's the scene of some of the most spectacular defeats in the history of sport: me vs my then boyfriend's friends at squash. (I let them win, of course.)

Have you asked Mcr University whether anyone has studied it?

Gwyn

Museum of the Mancs has, I think, piccies of all the drill halls.

I am soooo glad to be able to give them a positive plug for something (anything)

John

BIG thanks to DNH, Gwyn and John, for the Manc connection.

5th Battalion in Wigan, not sure exactly where - Bank street/Powell street; there are some pictures on the net of its' demolition.

6th Battalion in Stretford Road, Hulme, since demolished. Nothing on this one.

7th Battalion, Burlington Street Manchester, until recently was the MacDougall Sports Centre of Manchester Univ., but now I think closed and to be demolished
Shame! McDougall Sports Centre Burlington St built 1885 by J R Hillkirk. Originally for the Third Manchester Rifle Volunteers, it was used in the interwar years by the Royal Signals until it was converted in 1939 by J S Beaumont. It was apparently the only military installation in Manchester to be hit during German bombing, when a bomb passed through the CO's office and the unit swimming pool without exploding.

8th Battalion Ardwick Green, still home to C (Manchester) Company of the Kings and Cheshire Regiment (TA) - and a very fine drill hall too, with its' 'Always ready' motto.

9th Battalion, Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne still in use by cadets of some description - glad to know it's still in use

10th Battalion, Rifle Street, Oldham, demolished. Thanks for the address!

Other Manchester units include 15, 16 and 17 batteries of the East Lancs Brigade RFA at Hyde Road, the East Lancs field Coys RE at 73 Seymour Grove (demolished), East Lancs ASC listed at Hulme Barracks and Rawtenstall, and the East Lancs Field Ambulances of the RAMC at the imposing premises still existant on the corner of King's Road. To the rear of this building is the Manchester South West Delivery Office, which was the Regimental Headquarters and No.1 Squadron Royal Signals from 1932 to 1955.

Any others?

Andrew - pictures are always welcome. Thanks, and yes, please!

Graeme

Had forgotten Hyde Road Artillery oops! Still there I think. When the first 'Clerks and Warehousemen's Battalion' was advertised (later 1st City Battalion, later still 16th Manchesters) signing up took place at Artillery HQ Hyde Road. Later Manchester Town Hall was used.

Gwyn - I did suggest to M'cr University Archaeology that a building recording of Burlington Street be carried out, if nothing else as an undergraduate exercise. Don't think anything came of it though, sadly. As I understand, it closed in July, I shall have to see what comes of it...

There is a signals section TA in Rusholme and an RE unit TA in Failsworth - don't know the origins of the buildings I'm afraid, but suspect that they are not drill halls of the late 19th Century type.

There is of course Stockport's drill hall that is still used by the TA / Cadets. Mossley had one connected to the Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regt. Did Stalybridge have a drill hall? I can't remember. Other than that I can't think of Greater Manc's drill halls, bound to be some more though...

Cheers

1st City Battalion was indeed initially recruited at Hyde Road. Stedman in "Manchester Pals" - "As soon as the first editions of the local papers were made available, men clamoured at the gates of the Artillery HQ".

In terms of Stockport, whilst it's on the same site, I don't think that the present Armoury building is WW1 vintage. I'll have a proper nosy tomorrow evening when I'm there for the WFA meeting.

Stalybridge, Hyde and Glossop all had Companies of the 6th Cheshires and must have had their own drill halls. Don't know any locations, I'm afraid.

John

My friend has taken a photo of this one. Unfortunately it's temporarily stuck in her camera. It is, however, alive and well.

I sent Graeme pictures of that extraordinary place in Greek Street a little while ago.

As far as Greater Manchester south goes, which was Cheshire then, Hale has been demolished (was where the Ashley Hotel is) and Graeme has a picture of that. It was rather nice. Sale no longer exists. I have found an old lady who remembers it. The archives in Sale were inaccessible last time I went, but I live in hope. I consulted Kelly for the location of Altrincham, but unsuccessfully so far and need to go back and look.

Don't ask me who was what where. I don't have that sort of mind. I just look at the pictures.

Gwyn

I am going to talk to the university. I did!

I have a vision of the initial phone call...........

Hello, Manchester University reception. Can I help you?

Ah, the McDougall Centre. You need the Faculty of Sports Science. I'll just put you through.

Hello, this is Sports Science... Ah, drill hall. The war. You need Modern History. I'll just put you through.

Hello, this is the Faculty of Modern History. Drill hall? You need the Military Studies department. I'll just put you through.

Hello, this is Military Studies. The McDougall centre? To be demolished? You need the Faculty of Archeology. I'll just put you through.

Hello, Archeology here. The drill hall? Ah. Right. You need Manchester City Planners. I'll just give you the number.

Hello, Manchester City Council. Planners? Trying to connect you.

[Interval in which Vivaldi's Four Seasons plays in its entirety]

Hello, Planning. Ah, the McDonalds Centre in Burlington Avenue. Right. Yes. Yes. But. No. Ok. Yes. Right. You need to speak to Manchester University. Shall I give you their .......

......and you all wonder why I'm trying to record these sad, redundant buildings before they succumb to the Developers in the name of Progress.

In my original request for information on these places, I mentioned their architectural, social and military significance. everyone sees them in a different light. Apart from the Guardians of our civic heritage, who pass requests on ad infinitum.

So when you lovely people turn up a gem of a drill hall, I get excited and grateful.

I thank you all for your ongoing interest, and the time and effort you expend.

Graeme

Hello Graeme

I've emailed you two negatives (sigh) and a sort-of positive for your wonderful database.

The negatives are now tin-shed industrial estates and very ugly they are too. Wonder whether someone will be taking their photos in eighty years time... if they last that long.

The sort-of looks as if it's alive and well, but I need to check that by visiting it. I did. It is definitely a converted drill hall, but I'm not sure whether it's still standing. It is. At least someone thought it was important enough to record its picture a few years ago. Good on the unknown photographer.

Gwyn

Thank you, Gwyn.

The power of a 'negative' in this project can not be understated; it confirms the one-time presence of premises, it saves yours truly a fruitless drive with camera and family, and it illustrates the worthlessness of these buildings, demolished in the name of pogress.

The very fact that one can say '...but it's now demolished and replaced by a Comet Superstore or Wickes' merely proves its' existence, better than a vague reference that leaves you wondering whether our brave forebears marched out from the place that is now a car showroom.

The particular positive is generally obvious; but then we can all be taken in by a building that MAY have been... I do have a developing interest in architecture, now, after spending hours seeking these places out.

History or Sheds.

What do you want?

Graeme

The drill hall in Chenies Street, London was the HQ of the 12th Bttn. London Regiment "The Rangers".

Their WW1 memorial is also there just off Bedford Square, albeit hardly accessible due to a modern monstrosity being built right on top of it.

The drill hall is now a "theatre" predominantly catering for a certain "modern lifestyle" audience. What a long way we've come

Remembering a Great Uncle Rfm. 1465 F J Gobell from Barking and his comrades, one of only 53 Rangers survivors from 2nd Ypres at Frezenberg Ridge, who died at Gommecourt on 1st July 1916, and who would have used the drill hall before going to France on Christmas Day 1914.

The Chenies Street premises are, at least, still there and in use. Whatever their current employ, it pleases me that the building is still standing and not flattened in the name of 'progress', replaced by some wiggly tin shed selling car spares.

It's a classic 'you have to look up at it' building, and it was unfortunately swathed in scaffolding when I went to take a photo.

Shame the memorial is treated with so little reverence.

Thanks, Mark.