Share your memories of Wolverhampton Civic Hall
At face value, Ozzy Osbourne, Harold Wilson, Sir Henry Wood and Gracie Fields do not have a great deal in common.
But one thing unites them all – they have all appeared at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
The city's primary music venue is 75 years old in May, and we want your memories and photographs.
Maybe you have been to one of the countless gigs that the venue has hosted. Or perhaps you met your sweetheart during the dance hall days of the 1950s and 60s. Or you might have been there during the early days, when Britain's finest orchestras flocked to Wolverhampton to avoid the Blitz.
The Civic was opened by the Earl of Dartmouth in 1938, and many said its completion was not before time.
Until that time concerts in Wolverhampton would be held in either the town's Agricultural Hall, the Baths Assembly Hall, or the Drill Hall – none of which had been designed as music venues.
The need for a new concert hall was first raised by Councillor Clement Jenks in 1920, although there was no real progress for another two years. But the Express & Star threw its weight behind the idea, even running a competition where readers could suggest ideas for what they wanted to see from the new building.
The cost soared from a projected £80,000 in 1924 to £150,000, leading to an attempt by Wolverhampton Property Owner's Defence League to get the work postponed by five years.
Had this succeeded, the outbreak of war would probably have put paid to the plans.
In the first 10 years, all the leading British orchestras played the Civic, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Halle, the London Symphony and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Dancing still plays a huge role in the venue's success, and to mark the occasion the Civic Hall will be hosting an afternoon dance on May 18.
The Civic has also played host to the biggest names in rock and pop, with acts as varied as Nat King Cole the Rolling Stones and Take That appearing at the venue.
Do you have memories or old photographs of the Civic? If so, contact Mark Andrews on 01902 319472, email Mark.Andrews@expressandstar.co.uk, write to 51-53 Queen Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES or comment below.
