They are an important part of Huddersfield’s heritage and are now back in town. 

These nine magnificent sculptures – thought to have been carved around 1880 – were used to support the countertops inside what was originally the Huddersfield Banking Company founded in 1827 which merged into the Midland Bank on Cloth Hall Street in 1897.

When the old bank was demolished to be replaced by a new building in 1971, the figures were saved and displayed at mezzanine level overlooking the street after the bank became the HSBC UK.

But they vanished when the bank moved into Kingsgate in February this year, leaving Huddersfield Civic Society chairman David Wyles puzzled as to where they’d gone.

He went straight to the top at HSBC UK to try to get an answer … and the response was amazing.

David said: “I managed to find contact details for HSBC UK chief executive Ian Stuart and thought ‘why not give it a go’, thinking I’d probably never get a reply.

“I couldn’t have been more wrong. Even though it was a Sunday Ian replied within a couple of hours and said he’d look into it first thing on Monday and he certainly did.”

 

Huddersfield Civic Society chairman David Wyles with Sharon Bell (right) and Lisa Moore from HSBC UK

 

The sculptures were quickly located in storage and arrangements made by Sharon Bell, HSBC UK network manager in Huddersfield with the support of Jill Rendell from international company Global Commercial Real Estate Services to organise their return to Huddersfield.

David added: “Unfortunately, there is no room for them in the HSBC UK in Kingsgate but Huddersfield Civic Society hopes to identify a new home for them where they can be seen by the public and truly appreciated as a valuable part of the town’s architectural and cultural heritage.”

The figures were carved by renowned master sculptor Harry Hems (1842-1916), a prodigious stone and wood carver from Exeter in Devon who was an expert ecclesiastical craftsman.

Each figure has its own distinct theme including Victorian, Egyptian, African and Greek and each one can now be hung on a wall if a space can be found to show them to the public. The hope is they will be displayed in the new library and museum in Huddersfield town centre.

In the meantime they are being stored at electrical motor and control systems company Westin Drives on St Andrew’s Road in Huddersfield.

 

 

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.

Image of the former Huddersfield Banking Company premises on Cloth Hall Street in Huddersfield town centre from Huddersfield Local Studies Library, Kirklees Libraries.

 

Vincent Dorrington looks back on the demolition of the old Huddersfield Market Hall which some people have never forgiven