"The New Town Hall Hornsey", c1935

Comment by Brian Faulkner on August 5, 2018 at 20:07

 Where I got Married, in July 1977 !!. 

Comment by Geraldine on August 10, 2018 at 0:27

It was still bright and new when our school choir sang there in the 40s and 50s.

Comment by Chris Setz on August 10, 2018 at 13:04

HTH was officially opened in November 1935. They had the architect back afterwards to do the Annex to the left so this photo would have been taken nearer 1937 I'd guess.

Comment by Richard Woods on August 10, 2018 at 13:17

Stationers' had their major prizegiving there each year back in the 50s and 60s.

I spent some grim hours in the council chamber from 1960 to 1964 as one of the reporters for the Hornsey Journal - verbatim notes back then! I recall the Mayor was a (Brian?) Cave and his sister Nancy the Mayoress. Alderman (long gom=ne title) Muldoon was a key figure. We could never quoite him verbatim - he rambled terribly and got his words wrong. Nice chap though.

Comment by Hugh on August 10, 2018 at 13:46

Are you sure that's the annexe on the left there, Chris? I think what we're looking at is the old telephone exchange behind Broadway Hall. You can see it marked on this 1915 map:

The 1935 Town Hall development had a wall along the northern boundary of the forecourt, separating the telephone exchange building (built in 1905/6). You can see both wall and  telephone exchange (just) in the picture below from 1935:

The exchange was acquired by the borough for the building of the extension. Most of the exchange was demolished and replaced with Uren's moderne style building. However scraps of the former telephone exchange building were retained and remain today.  The building was used by the local gas company. It's interesting to note that in an echo if the former use of the site, Uren designed a bank of public telephone kiosks within the frontage. The signage has survived by the skin of its teeth till today, though the phone kiosks are long gone. 

I think you can see that the style of the building on the left in the original photo is mot moderne and is clearly of an older vintage.

All this would very firmly date the original photo to between 1935 and 1938 when the annex was opened.

Comment by irene rose neil on August 10, 2018 at 13:46

used to be dental services in there and the woman called me a silly cuckoo for being nervous.I also went with north Harringay school choir in the 40s have a pic somewhere 

Comment by Hugh on August 11, 2018 at 3:34

To finish off the tale of the telephone exchange - Oakfield Villa on Crouch End Hill was originally bought by the Office of Works for use as a new home for the telephone exchange. However, the exchange was built behind Broadway Hall and the Crouch End Hill house was used by the Hornsey Social Services Council as a recreational centre for local unemployed.

As part of all the civic changes in the 1930s, Oakfield Villa and the terraces of shops on the street frontage were redeveloped to make way for the new Mountview Telephone Exchange - which, somewhat enlarged in the seventies, still stands today. (The Railway Tavern public house was also rebuilt in 1938 in mock-Tudor style as part of the redevelopment).

Comment by Christine Killick on August 28, 2018 at 16:40

Have happy memories of Hornsey Town Hall theatre during the 1950's and 60's.

Comment by Bill South on April 24, 2020 at 22:19

As a youngster (1960s) always thought the Town Hall was a 'special' place. Going in using the revolving doors and the rubber flooring in the corridors.

Comment by Alan on July 4, 2020 at 14:14

I think Mum took us to see @Down Your Way' with Wilfred Pickles, least I've got a programe for that somewhere.

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