Bradford City Hall #3

The other great civic room in City Hall is the Banqueting Hall, where large civic events are held. It was here that King Charles was introduced to young Bradfordian leaders when he visited last year (see HERE).  

The frieze above the fireplace has symbolic figures representing aspects of Bradford: the wool trade, architecture, the arts.

The names of all Bradford's Lord Mayors are displayed on the walls - you can see Titus Salt near the top of the board below. David Hockney's brother, Paul, was another of our Lord Mayors. 

There are grand stained glass windows, showing the coats of arms of many prominent people associated with the city.  

If you look closely at the pillars, you can find this carving of John Northrop killing the Bradford Boar (see my earlier post: Bradford City Hall #1). 

The rather wonderful tapestry below, titled 'The Threads that Bind Us', was made to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Utilising wool as a base (appropriately for Bradford), it was put together by artists Morwenna Catt and Lucas Stephens, using designs and stories from schoolchildren and motifs sewn by older citizens of the city, many of whom had worked in the textile industry. There is a wealth of detail in it, including the city's green spaces and City Park; notable places: City Hall itself, the Wool Exchange, the Alhambra theatre, National Media Museum, mill chimneys, Bingley's Five Rise Locks, Ilkley's Cow and Calf rocks, one of Saltaire's lions, a sheep and the Bradford Boar. Famous people depicted are the astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle (who came from Bingley), David Hockney and the Brontë sisters.