THE HAROLD SAVAGE HALL

In 2010 it was decided that the ‘Harold Savage Hall’ should be included in the revised conservation area for Elland. Mr Richard Wilkinson the current Captain of the ‘5th Halifax (Elland) company’ Boys Brigade (Anchormen) kindly allowed me access to the brigade archive where I came across a few items which I thought would be of interest to members of our society. To give the items relevance and light I have included a potted history of the ‘Harold Savage Hall’ as a guidance.

Originally part of the former ‘Elland Wesley Methodist Church’ the idea of forming a Boys Brigade company was first raised at a meeting of the ‘Elland Wesley Sunday School’ on 31st August 1903 where it was not considered to be a good idea both for the boys or for the school but like all good ideas it created much debate and so it was that on 12th July 1904 it was finally decided that the boys could drill once a week on Tuesday evenings .

The first company captain was Mr A.H.Hobley and the first register in January 1905 states the company designation as ‘1st Elland company’. In 1906 the company joined the Halifax battalion and became ‘5th Halifax (Elland) company’ but by 1908 the brigade began to suffer a few ups and downs notably from the society classes who held meetings at the same time and found the noise intolerable. By 1910 the company was on its last legs. It was at this juncture that Mr.Harold Savage was appointed as Captain and under his leadership the company began to grow and flourish and continued to flourish well into the early 1920’s when the headquarters were moved to the Brooksbank Institute at the top of Westgate. By 1922 membership was up to 90 boys and 6 officers.

In March 1931, Harold Savage offered to build a hall to celebrate his 21 years service as company Captain.

Known as ‘The Harold Savage Hall’ the main hall measured 44 ft by 32.5 ft with a 19 ft high ceiling. It had two classrooms and cost £3000 to build. It was described as ‘The best hall in Methodism for its purpose’.

It was opened on 23rd January 1932 by Mrs Savage

 

The opening ceremony with Harold Savage on the left of the picture with the Rev.A.Hall and Mr.J.Ainley .On the right in uniform is Lady Fisher Smith
A dinner to commemorate the opening of the Harold Savage hall was held on the 27th January 1932.

This is the menu for the dinner and the signatures are all genuine…note the names…Savage, Wainwright, Ainley, Exley all synonymous with Elland

 

                                               

 

 

 

           

The ‘Old Boys Association presented a memorial brass unveiled on 9th October 1932 in memory of 21 ‘Old boys’ killed in the Great War.

In 1956 the Savage Hall was renovated by the ‘Old boys Association’ and on the 14th April at the ‘Jubilee Celebrations Re-union Weekend’ two plaques were unveiled in the hall, one in memory of ‘Old boys’ who died in the 1939-45 war and the other in memory of Harold Savage who died in 1949.

 

         

 

 

 

 

In 1972 the ‘Wesley Church’ amalgamated with ‘St Paul’s Methodist Church’ in Elland and ‘Middle Dean Street Methodist Church’ in West Vale and on November 16th 1974 the former ‘St Paul’s’ premises were re-opened as ‘Southgate Methodist Church and the company has met there ever since and the rest….as they say………
……is history…….

 

Tim Patterson
Greater Elland Historical Society.

 

Thanks to Capt.Richard Wilkinson and Mr. David Fox Esq.