History

The Old Hall

The decision in the early 1920’s to purchase land in Arthur Street, and to build a Parish Hall on it was that of the then Parish Priest Dean Murphy. Unfortunately he retired before he saw it materialise into what was said to be the finest Hall in the town.

The Hall was officially opened (September 29th, 1926) with Pontifical High Mass which was celebrated by Bishop Arthur Doubleday of Brentwood, Essex. The choir under Mr. A. Airey sang the Mass with the aid of only a tuning fork, but their performance was remembered for many years.

Originally, the design was for the Upper Hall to be used as a Concert Hall and for Meetings, and for the Lower Hall to be used for Dances. The floor in the latter was specially laid for that purpose and was acknowledged as the best in the town. However, as the dances became more popular the Upper Hall was converted for dancing, because it was larger, and had a proper stage for the band. During the 1930’s the Annual Ball was the big social night of the year for the Parish. Other parishes held their dances in the Hall both before and after the war, as of course did many other firms and organisations.

The shows given in the Hall during the 1930’s by the Huddersfield Catholic Amateur Operatic Society (under Mr. Arthur Airey) were very popular. The members came from all parishes and performed “Highwayman’s Love”, “The Irish Girl”, “Our Miss Gibbs”, “High Jinks” and many others. After the war the Catholic Amateur Dramatic Society put on many fine shows and the School and the Mothers Union and many other groups from all the parishes gave concerts. Indeed many a child first ‘trod the boards’ on the stage of St. Patrick’s Hall. The Huddersfield Thespians then held shows in the Hall right up to the closure in 1971.

During the war the Main Hall became a Garrison Theatre and the Lower Hall the NAAFI, for the Royal Signals who were based in the town. Their Dance Orchestra (CERTA CITO) was a most professional outfit.

After the war, although the Annual Ball was revived, dancing went into a decline in the 1950’s and the social activities housed in the Hall were rather fewer. The Lower Hall became the School Dining Hall and the various Parish Societies were once more able to use the rooms for their meetings. In the late 1950’s and 1960’s Mass was said in the Hall especially for the Irish speaking people of the town. It also housed many festivals of the immigrant community.

In the last few years before the closure in 1971, the Youth of the Parish took over the Lower Hall and soon showed what they could do if given the chance – what a pity it had to be snatched from them so soon.

The old ‘Paroch’ ‘Pat’s Hall’ call it what you will – filled many happy hours for the people of Huddersfield and we should be forever grateful to those stalwarts of our Catholic Community who gave up so much to build it and maintain it. Because of their foresight and energy we were given a modern replacement and the opportunity to set up an active Catholic Centre in the town which would become the power house of Parish activities, spiritual and social, and also the natural meeting place for all who worship Christ.

 

The Mens Club

St. Patrick’s Catholic Club grew out of a meeting that was held on April 28th, 1928. Thirteen men met and thrashed out the skeleton rules of the Club. Names that bring back memories were among that first committee – E. Pashley, W. Gannon, E. Kelly and others.

In that first club the youths (16 – 18 years) had the room behind the bar, with a billiard table and table tennis to keep them happy.

It was felt by many that the club and the Catholic Young Mens Society should be united. The Parish Priest urged this as a means of encouraging the men in their regular reception of the Sacraments. At the AGM of the club on Sunday, January 19th 1931, it was agreed that this should happen. As a result the constitution was amended so that all men who joined the club were also members of the CYMS. The men now began to discuss the youth and as members of the Catholic Social Guild, they joined in training courses so that they could help the Catholic Evidence Guild speakers at Leeds.

The Social side also progressed. The Eccles Cup for billiards was keenly contested, the supper evenings and the ‘sing-songs’ were always popular. They ran a football team that trained on a field behind the Peacock Inn and in summer the cricket team flourished. St. Brigid’s were often the opposition and rivalry was great.

The 1939-45 war disrupted everything. Of the 59 members of the club who served in the forces George Hanrahan, Myles McCarthy and Dennis Wood lost their lives. Happily the war ended and, while we prayed for those who died we held a ‘Welcome Home’ for the survivors in December 1946.

From those now distant days, we remember so many events. We recall the Royal Corps of Signals Orchestra, and especially their farewell night with us.

And so things settled back after the war, and soon the Club brought forth many jibes of the ‘bachelors drinking den’ variety, but from those rooms came many happy social hours, at cricket, football and snooker matches, in which the friendly spirit of the members was often commented upon. The Club trips, the annual CYMS Dinner and Dance, the children’s Christmas treats were other regular enjoyable events.

The Parish processions, the CYMS choir, the discussion evenings, the memorable turnouts for the Easter Monday Mass and for the annual Retreat Weekends, were all facets of the spiritual power of the Club, and of course the Club was also able to give regular cash donations to the Parish finances.

In 1969, we opened our rooms to the ladies, and a new era had begun.

Father P. McGee came to Huddersfield from Castleford in 1957. During his fourteen years in St. Patrick’s he saw many changes. He was the one who had to begin to implement the decisions of the Second Vatican Council. He also helped launch the new St. Gregory’s Grammar and St. Augustine’s Secondary schools (now merged as All Saints) which were nearing completion when he arrived.
He too had to face the decisions and battles that needed to be fought as the Hall and Parish School were scheduled for demolition to make way for the Inner Ring Road. In 1968-69 the sites for the New Hall and School were acquired and soon the plans were accepted by the local authority. His last act in the parish was to open the new St. Patrick’s School, and on that occasion the Bishop made him a Canon of the Diocese.

Homeless

In May, 1971, the Hall came under a Compulsory Purchase Order due to the building of the Inner Ring Road. We thus found ourselves without any premises but eventually – after a short but happy period as guests at the Albert Hotel where we were made most welcome by John and Margaret Moran – we moved into 56 Trinity Street which had previously housed a dental practice. We expected to stay there for about a year, but this stretched to xxxxx as we waited for the completion of our new hall. However, this period proved useful for the encouragement of a mixed membership and it can be said that most, if not all, of the fears of the die-hard ‘men only’ members were laid to rest. During this time all the Parish Societies were forced into closer physical proximity and increased membership of the Club and Societies with greater involvement in parochial activities were two of the results. We look back on our days ‘at the Dentists’ as very fruitful ones.

One decision taken by the members of the Club during this period was that we should break the link between CMS (formerly CYMS) membership and Club membership so that the Club was open to all Catholics and the Society functioned as a separate entity.

Mgr. Kevin O’Brien came to St. Patrick’s in 1971 and was appointed Vicar General of the Diocese. Before that he served with the Catholic Missionary Society for 15 years being Superior for 11 years. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee on 20th June 1973.
One of the first challenges he faced as Parish Priest was the transition from the Old Hall to the new St. Patrick’s Catholic Centre.