The glorious revival of The Piece Hall in Halifax has created a unique Yorkshire version of grand European piazzas, which is just as CEO Nicky Chance-Thompson planned...
Nicky Chance-Thompson has enjoyed some incredible experiences as CEO of The Piece Hall Charitable Trust, but there is no hesitation when asked about her favourite standout moments. ‘I think being backstage to watch Duran Duran perform Rio was a bit of a girly childhood dream come true, that was fantastic. And meeting Noel Gallagher who was lovely and very down-to-earth,’ says Nicky who met both acts when they took part in the Live at The Piece Hall series of summer gigs last year.
‘It’s funny, when you meet heroes or celebrities, you feel like you know them, so find yourself having mundane conversations about banana bread or such like. You then have to pinch yourself that you’re speaking to Richard Hawley, or whoever it might be, but that’s testament to the artists we’ve had play at The Piece Hall. Fortunately, we haven’t had any divas, yet, and the artists love hearing about the building and its history.’
Opened in Halifax in 1779 for the trading of ‘pieces’ of hand-woven cloth produced by Yorkshire’s woollen mills; The Piece Hall in Halifax is the world’s sole surviving Georgian cloth hall. Although the Grade I listed building no longer houses traders of the original kind, transactions continue to abound with swathes of visitors turning up each year to enjoy the atmosphere and architecture of this one-of-a-kind setting.
Built on a slope, it can be a disconcerting experience for those visiting the independent shops on the upper levels, given there are two floors on one end of the building, and three on the other, but the architectural highlight is no doubt the awe-inspiring open-air courtyard.
Reminiscent of grand European piazzas, the colossal 66,000 square foot space plays host to cultural events, food, drink and craft markets, as well as community festivals throughout the year, whatever the weather. It is also where Nicky spends a considerable amount of time as it provides the perfect opportunity to hear first-hand what visitors make of the place.
‘A lot of people in Halifax know me and that's a good and bad thing. They tell me when I’m doing well and they tell me when I’m not doing so well because they’re very proud of this building, and they’re very proud of what we do here,’ remarks Nicky who began her career in advertising and marketing, before moving into regeneration and renovation projects.
The courtyard is also where the Live at The Piece Hall summer gigs take place. This year, an eclectic line-up of artists, including Sting, George Ezra and Limp Bizkit, will take to the stage in front of 5,500 strong crowds.
READ MORE: A look ahead to events at Piece Hall in Halifax this summer
‘This is a huge deal for Halifax and Calderdale in terms of the visitor economy, investment into the area, creating a powerful feeling of pride in place and alongside public funding keeping The Piece Hall free to enter,’ notes Nicky who is originally from London but married a Yorkshireman from Halifax and moved north in 2006.
‘The Piece Hall was one of the first buildings my husband introduced me to. The moment I saw it, I thought it was glorious, but needed some TLC as it was very run-down. There were a few shops, but people weren't really visiting it or using it in a way they do now,’ she explains.
‘I’d worked on regeneration projects across the word, so when I found out The National Lottery Heritage Fund and council intended to undertake a transformation project and were looking for people to be part of a newly formed Trust, I approached them - tentatively.
‘I was thinking, ‘Goodness, are they going to want a Londoner to speak to them about one of their most cherished buildings?’ But to my surprise and delight, they wanted me to work with them, so I became a trustee around 2015 and then I was obviously involved with The Piece Hall’s reopening in 2017.’
Inspired by the likes of St Mark’s Square in Venice, one of her favourite cities, Nicky’s vision was to create an engaging space that brought people together. ‘I wanted to bring The Piece Hall alive and animate it with shops and eateries, somewhere to escape to and enjoy wonderful experiences surrounded by the beautiful Calder Valley,’ says Nicky whose ambition is to make The Piece Hall world-renowned.
‘It is a really important heritage building, part of our history, and deserves to be more famous. Calderdale is going into its Year of Culture in 2024 and while we’re going to have some amazing bands here again, we also want to really celebrate all the great cultural people and assets we have in the area. We really punch above our weight as a borough, so we want to encourage people to come and see what everyone's talking about.’
It is testament to the hard work undertaken by Nicky and her team that The Piece Hall has welcomed more than 10.5 million visitors over the last six years. That’s no mean feat, especially given the pandemic, lockdowns and ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
‘It requires a lot of maintenance and a lot of care, and if we're going to keep it free for everybody to visit, which is our intention, that requires a lot of activity in terms of events.
It can feel like every day is a day on The Apprentice, wondering what the next challenge will be, but if it was easy, I probably wouldn't be doing it to be candid with you,’ reveals Nicky who thrives on the fact no two days are the same.
‘It means the role is never mundane and that's just the way I like it,’ she says, although admits she could do better at taking time out for herself.
‘I’m absolutely shocking, I’m a work in progress, but work gives me a lot of joy. I wasn’t blessed with children and whichever job I’ve had; I've made sure it’s something I love doing. I don’t really see it as work but something I enjoy doing during the week. It’s challenging, but it is also a complete joy and privilege.’
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