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A BRIEF HISTORY Old Town Hall opened in 1878 and operated as Hampstead Vestry Hall 1878, it was renamed Hampstead Town Hall in 1900, and renamed Old Hampstead Town Hall in 1965 when the council left. The building was abandoned in AMAZING STORIES HAMSPTEAD TOWN HALL IS LOCATED AT 213 1994. After campaigning from local residents, the building was saved and in 2000 arts charity Wac Arts moved in and is the HILL, LONDON NW3 4QP Old Hampstead Town Hall has a unique history. So far we current custodian of the building. Wac Arts is committing to have uncovered: UNDERGROUND: PARK include heritage as part of its offer and has been looking into (ZONE 2, NORTHERN LINE) this intriguing and surprising history. 1913 Emmeline Pankhurst at a WSPU meeting TRAIN: HAMPSTEAD HEATH

1919 George Bernard Shaw speech BUSES: Wac Arts has a long association with U3A, and houses the 1915 TS Elliot married in the Council Chamber 168, C11, 268 UK’s only physical campus. We greatly look forward to working 1916 Lytton Strachey defending himself before the council DISABLED PARKING IS AVAILABLE with U3A’S London wide members in uncovering more of this 1936 Lord Haw Haw Fascist Rally Do you have any of your unique story. Wac Arts has recently received funding from the 1939 – 1945 Home Guard Unit and Civil Defense National Lottery Heritage Fund in order to deliver a new own stories? 1963 Spike Milligan Poetry recital ‘Connecting Communities’ project. A series of activities will be 1966 Georgie Girl location taking place over the coming months informed by our heritage For further information contact Brian 1978 Suggs first gig with Madness and the themes of Change Makers, migration, family and Levy [email protected] generations and success and aspiration. And there’s so much more left to discover. www.wacarts.co.uk

RESEARCH PROJECT

Above, the Grand Imperial Staircase. Left, the Council in session in 1952. Note the high proportion of female councilors.

FILLING IN THE GAPS

We have already engaged in a great deal of research into the history of the Town Hall, but ARCHIVE RESEARCH there are some key areas left to be enriched. We The Old Town Hall has a wide and varying range are looking for help looking into: of stories. Since January 2019, we have recruited Archival and library research to be a number of dedicated volunteers and are looking Wartime activities, especially the Home Guard carried out at for others to join our team to help take the Unit Based at the Town Hall. research to another level, supporting the current ▪ The London Metropolitan Archive research and to solve some mysteries. Who drew the Wartime graffiti in the bunker and

interpretation of the images. ▪ Camden Archive Having become familiar with the current material, we are hoping that the team will carry out a mix of Images of the inside of the building ▪ British Library archival research and capture oral history.

First person narratives of working in the building ▪ National Archives in Kew OUTCOMES Wac Arts are hoping to use the material Details of one off public (hired) events. ▪ British Newspaper Archive uncovered to inform its performing arts activities, in order to honour the history of the building. It is Details of births, marriages and deaths at the ▪ Imperial War Museum also hoped that the information will be used in a register office. publication, and compliment Wac Arts’ community

engagement activities taking place over the Hampstead boasts a range of notable public coming months. figures who have lived nearby the Town Hall – PTO can we link them?