Morley - West Riding

Drill Hall, Ackroyd street

'H' 4 King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
4th Battalion King’s Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) H Company

Leeds Central Library, 'Scrapbooks relating to Morley...’, includes a letter, dated 3rd May, 1912, describing the arrangements for the opening of the new Drill Hall in Ackroyd street, Morley for the Morley Detachment of the 4th King's Own Yorks.Light Infantry

The Hall was to be opened on Saturday, May 11th, at 3 o'clock, by General Baldock in the presence of other ‘distinguished Officers’. The letter states that, ‘The Officers and Men of the Local Territorial Corps will meet at the Town Hall, at 2-30, leaving in Procession at 3 o'clock, in the following order’ then it lists the Battalion Band, the Morley Detachment, representatives of Public Bodies, Magistrates, Members of the Town Council, General Baldock and Official Guests, Visiting Mayors, The Mayor of Morley. The Boy Scouts were to line the route.

The letter lists the order of proceedings:
‘On arrival at the Hall Major Maggs will ask General Baldock to open the building.
’The Architect will present to General Baldock a Silver Key.
’General Baldock will declare the Building open, and those taking part in the Procession will enter the Hall.
’The Mayor will preside.
’A Vote of Thanks to General Baldock will be proposed and seconded.
‘After the Opening Ceremony the Procession will be reformed in the above order and will return to the Town Hall.’
[Leeds Central Library: 'Scrapbooks relating to Morley [Misc] No. 268': LM827 [942]. We are very grateful to Dave Stowe for researching this on behalf of the project.

The opening of the Drill Hall was reported briefly in the Leeds Mercury.

The Leodis.net website includes photographs of the opening of the Drill Hall and the final parade of the Territorials outside the drill hall in about 1960. The Ackroyd Street Drill Hall closed in 1963 [Leodis] but the building is extant and is used by a pet supplies business.



Morley
Photograph courtesy of Dave Stowe
Morley
Photograph courtesy of Dave Stowe


Morley
Photograph courtesy of Dave Stowe


Morley
Photograph courtesy of Dave Stowe


Morley
Photograph courtesy of Roger Thompson


Morley
Photograph courtesy of Dave Stowe


Morley - Roof space
Photograph courtesy of Dave Stowe
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The Drill Hall Project - Charting a neglected legacy