Town hall hit by WW2 bomb celebrates 150 years

A town hall which survived a World War Two bomb crashing through its roof and several floors is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Leicester Town Hall - which was opened in 1876 - was constructed in response to the rapid growth of the city in the 19th Century, which rendered Leicester Guildhall "no longer adequate" to support the needs of the population.

The hall was struck during the worst night of the "Leicester Blitz" in November 1940, Leicester City Council said.

The council said it would mark the anniversary with a small ceremony in front of the building on Friday.

The council said the building's official opening - on 7 August 1876 - was led by Mayor Alderman William Barfoot, and was followed by a banquet at the Corn Exchange for about 400 of "the principal gentlemen connected with the borough and the county".

It said the celebrations continued into the evening with live music and a "grand display" of fireworks.

Extensions were made in 1910 to keep up with a rising population, which had reached more than 212,000 by 1901.

The World War Two bomb smashed through the roof and several floors, coming to rest in the basement without exploding, the council said.

Mayor of Leicester Sir Peter Soulsby said: "It sat down there apparently for a good few days before they were able to defuse it and get it out.

"It was a very lucky escape for the town hall because many other parts of Leicester did get very significantly damaged that night."

The council added Queen Elizabeth II visited Leicester "many times" during her reign, and waved to crowds from the central balcony of the town hall on a visit in 1980.

It said the building saw "civic history being made" in 1941, as ex-suffragette and philanthropist Alderman Elizabeth Rowley-Frisby became the first woman to serve as the Lord Mayor of Leicester.

In 2008, Manjula Sood became the first Asian female Lord Mayor in the UK.

Now the town hall contains the offices of the Lord Mayor of Leicester and the registrar services.

Soulsby said: "To be honest when I was first elected back in the 1970s the town hall was looking a bit shabby, I mean it really was.

"It had been quite neglected over a couple of decades before that."

He added he was "really proud" the building had been returned to an "appropriate" standard over the years.

"It deserves to be looked after properly and celebrated," he said.

To mark the 150th anniversary, the council said the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Kulwinder Singh Johal, will cut a celebration cake at 16:00 BST on Friday, which will be shared with those gathering to watch in Town Hall Square.

Assistant city mayor Vi Dempster said: "For 150 years, the Town Hall has been at the heart of our city and has witnessed so much of Leicester's history.

"It's a building that means a great deal to many people today - as a meeting place, as a landmark, or even as the place where they got married.

"This anniversary is a chance to celebrate both its remarkable past and its place in the city today."

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