Press
The Hallé
Free Trade Hall
1984

From City Life, student special, Sept ’84.Interesting article on the history of the city from Roman times onwards, for the new inductees into the Rainy City. It describes the local tribe, the Brigantes, as “... barbarous and uncivilised” ,so no change there, and that Mamucium was founded under Agricola in AD 78 around the Deansgate area. The things you learn when you flick through old yellow paged papers. (All these mags are nicotine yellow but there’s a clever little device on the computer that changes them back to almost brand spanking new when you scan them; then again y’all probably know that. Hurrah for modern technology!.
As a young ‘un, circa '71 we went on an outing from St. Peter’s school near Heaton Park; (Wythenshawe to Prestwich in the olden days, three buses, nearly 2 hours each way; nightmare!Would have been quicker by horse and cart. Something to do with barely passing the 11+ by the skin of me teeth. Should have paid more attention in class etc.....). We visited a Roman archeological dig in Albert Square, just opposite the Town Hall, across from The Square Albert, where they’d just demolished the old buildings. You could see where the old furnaces stood for making swords, shields etc. to batter your opponents with. They weren’t daft, them Romans. Who’d have thought that the invention of a straight road would be a great idea? It’s flippin’ obvious innit!
By the medieval period it was known as Mamecestre, with Salford being the main town for the area, having it’s very own battle named after it during the Civil War. Mr. Cromwell seems to have spent a lot of time galloping around the Northwest as I’m sure there’s countless mansions and farm houses where he supposedly spent the night and he obviously needed his beauty sleep, what with all those warts to contend with an' all. Then the Industrial Revolution hit, and the rest, as I’m reliably informed, is ‘istory. ( All of this will be in the exam....).
There’s a bit about Charles Halle’ and his orchestra. I’m sure, pretty much every kid in Manchester got a school outing to see The Halle’, under the auspices of Sir John Barbirolli, play at The Free Trade Hall. Worra great idea! Hope it still happens; unless it went the way of free milk under that milk thief M. Thatcher! ( I’m staying away from that cul de sac, honest! Think I’ve kind of said all that by now....). Anyway I’m sure they would have played “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” from Disney, “Hall of the Mountain King” etc. Still don’t know much about classical music except for adds on telly and "Peter and the Wolf" at school; the Danny Kaye version and not the David Bowie one.(Don't, whatever you do, make the mistake I made and start thinking about the chalice in the palace,the vessel with the pestle, the brew that is true etc.; it could drive you mental!). Anyway thankyou Mr. D. A. Fiske, head of Manchester Education or whatever you were, for letting us all have a day out; very kind of you I’m sure. For some reason we also went to see The Vienna Boys Choir at The Free Trade Hall; bizarre! I mean I sang in a school choir and according to my mam I was brilliant, but I’m sure we’d have all have been much more appreciative if we’d been taken to a Gary Glitter matinee; sure he would have been too, (hope I didn't say that out loud...), or, at the very least The Spinners ;( I’m referring to the Scouse /M/c band of that name and not the Motown one unfortunately).Then there's the Chetham School; is that like Hogwarts or something......?
I do recall the legendary Spanish classical guitarist, Segovia, playing at The Free Trade about ’78, and although a mate of Spanish background tried to get me to go, in the end, to my eternal chagrine, I didn’t .Probably went to see The Motors instead, dope!. Ah well, thems the breaks....