Free Trade Hall

ST GREGORY’S AND THE FREE TRADE HALL

The Free Trade Hall, located on Peter Street in the heart of Manchester, held a special place in the memories and affections of many old Gregorians. From 1957 until 1970 it was the venue for the school’s annual Speech Day, occasions that featured music, singing, speeches and presentations together with the presence of local civic and clerical dignitaries. Many of the pupils in the first and second years formed the choir, with final rehearsals taking place in the Free Trade Hall during the morning of the event.

The Free Trade Hall was built as a public hall between 1853 and 1856 on land given by Richard Cobden in St Peter’s Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. The hall was built to commemorate the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. The hall was funded by public subscription and became a concert hall and home to the Hallé Orchestra in 1858. It became a venue for public meetings and political speeches.

One of Manchester’s great buildings, the Free Trade Hall was the only building in Britain to be named after a principle: the idea of nations and individuals trading without tariff barriers. This line of thinking became known as the ‘Manchester School’ from the time when Manchester held a pre-eminent position in the world of industry, trade and commerce.

The Free Trade Hall was bought by Manchester Corporation in 1920, but was bombed and left an empty shell in the Manchester Blitz of December 1940. A new hall was constructed behind two walls of the original façade in 1950-51, opening as a concert hall in 1951. As well as housing the Hallé Orchestra, often conducted by Sir John Barbirolli, it was used for pop and rock concerts as well as for school speech days.

Speech Days

These were held annually from 1957 until 1970, with the exception of 1963. The first three were held in February, the remainder in July. It was a very special occasion, a very special evening. It gave the school the opportunity to demonstrate much of what it had succeeded in doing in various aspects of school life.

Looking back, it was a memorable experience for all concerned and especially for the boys who, in travelling into the city centre, went along historic roads and passed historic buildings. Viewing the Free Trade Hall from the opposite side of Peter Street, the Theatre Royal was situated immediately to its left. The theatre was constructed in sandstone ashlar and was opened in 1845. It operated as a theatre until 1921, when it closed in the face of growing competition from the Palace Theatre and Opera House. In 1921, the iconic building was converted to a cinema. Left of the Theatre Royal was the terracotta building of the Young Men’s Christian Association, popular establishment whose many social and recreational activities were well supported. Next was the famous Midland Hotel, situated at the junction of Peter Street and Mosley Street. Opened in September 1903, it was constructed in a highly individualistic Edwardian Baroque style with a steel structure clad in red brick, brown terracotta and several varieties of polished granite and Burmantofts terracotta to withstand the polluted environment of Manchester. The Midland was a grand hotel built by the Midland Railway to serve Manchester Central Station, which was located at its rear. In 1904, the Midland was where Charles Rolls met Henry Royce leading to the formation of the world-famous Rolls-Royce Limited. 

Nearby were such notable buildings as the Town Hall, Central Library, the Odeon and Gaumont cinemas. For much of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century Manchester was nicknamed ‘the West End of the North’, until the cinema took over. Yet, this part of the city centre was still a bustling and vibrant area for entertainment.

Walking along Mosley Street, Deansgate, Cross Street, King Street, Oxford Street and so on, iconic buildings could still be seen everywhere in spite of war-time bombing. Although mindful of these streets and buildings, most youngsters probably didn’t take too much notice of them in terms of their historical significance. Nevertheless, it was all part of their experience.

Mr Rocca, who some believed wanted to make St Gregory’s similar to a grammar school, oversaw the meticulous preparation for the event. Parents received delightfully decorated invitation cards, some of which have survived the passage of time and are included in this work. He insisted that all graduate teachers attend the function wearing their ceremonial gowns, as he himself did. Although this added to the grandeur and style of the occasion, it is possible that it engendered mixed feelings between those staff who were the possessors of such garments and those who weren’t. The graduates may have been split between those who wore them with pride and others who were slightly embarrassed. Some non-graduate colleagues may have felt a little resentful, too. But, that’s the way it was and, generally speaking, the occasions were always highly successful.

The success of the event was in no small part due to the tremendous efforts of the music department and others. The musical, drama and choral performances got the evening off to the best possible start and gave great satisfaction to those present, which included pupils, parents, staff, governors, invited guests and the press. Over the years the school had been blessed with having first-class music instructors, including Mr Michael Callaghan, Mr John Farrell and Mr Dudley Farrell (no relation), who were ably assisted from time to time by other staff including Mr Bernard Caulfield and Mr Tom Duddy. Mr Terry Sheridan and Mr Jim O’Malley also played no small part in the success of these occasions.

The Chairman of Governors made an introductory address in which he welcomed invited guests and set the scene for the rest of the programme. Another highlight of the evening was the headmaster’s report. Delivered in the early years by Mr Rocca, this was always factual, informative and interesting. He gave the audience an eloquent insight into the life of the school in a manner that made pupils and staff proud to be associated with St Gregory’s. This was followed by the presentation of prizes and awards by the guest of honour, who then made a short address.

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