Visitors had a ball at reopening of Todmorden Town Hall's ballroom

The ballroom was officially reopened by the Mayor of Calderdale, Coun Chris Pillai and the Mayor of Todmorden, Coun Patricia Taylor, with both commenting on the impressive new décor.

The new look for the Town Hall is part of a £120,000 investment in the ballroom by Calderdale Council, in partnership with the Town Hall Working Group. As well as a new colour scheme based on the original tiles, the room has also benefitted from acoustic improvements to allow for a wider range of events to be held in the ballroom.

In recognition of the Town Hall’s long history and many and varied events held in the ballroom, one of the Town Hall’s volunteer tour guides, Cynthia Murray, presented Cllr Pillai and Cllr Taylor with a copy of the Todmorden Town Hall guide book and the book ‘“A Love Affair with Music” - the life and times of Geoff Love’. Geoff Love was a musician, band leader and showbusiness icon and one of Todmorden’s famous sons who performed at the Town Hall on a number of occasions.

The many dance nights held at the Town Hall were also recognised at the reopening event, with local group DC Dance entertaining the many visitors with a varied programme of dances from ballroom to jive.

As well as celebrating the ballroom’s history, the event also looked to its future with information available about hosting events in the grand venue, to celebrate special occasions or for local groups to showcase their talents. Information about hiring the space is available at https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/residents/leisure-and-culture/venues/todmorden-town-hall

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Coun Jenny Lynn, said: “I’m delighted that so many people went along to Todmorden Town Hall for the reopening celebrations. The magnificent building has a special place in the hearts of local people and it’s fantastic that following the impressive refurbishment people are once again able to enjoy special events in this superb space.”

Chair of the Todmorden Town Hall Working Group, Coun Susan Press, said: “The reopening of the ballroom was a wonderful event and it was great to see so many people enjoying themselves and bringing life back into the historic ballroom. Everyone I spoke to was very impressed with the refurbishment, particularly the ceiling and the newly exposed tiles.

“The acoustic improvements have limited the amount of echo in the room, making the space more useful, particularly for music or spoken word. I look forward to attending many more events in the ballroom in the future.”