SlyBob's Travel Guide to...
Halifax

You know you're not far from Halifax when the Wainhouse Tower looms into view. Not that it looms so much; this thing - thanks Stephen  - can be seen from the moon!

It's the tallest folly in the world, no less, but given nobody else really bothered with follies, that means the tallest in the UK, really.

Pure showing off, and not for industry as first thought, although that was the original intention. Following some kind of architectural ding-dong, John Edward Wainhouse simply kept it for himself to irritate a rival and neighbouring industrialist.

You can occasionally get up the 369 steps to the viewing platform, erm, no thanks, not when they advise 'not to go oop t’ top' when it's windy!

Bob would now like to demonstrate more ignorance of Halifax's heritage at the Peace Hall, it is Peace as in 'peace and love man' from some long-forgotten war?

No, that's Piece as in 'pieces of eight', a fact known by every single other person in the Northern Hemisphere.

This whole, erm, piece, should be titled 'Halifax Piece Hall', because that was the extent of a brief visit, and it's hard not to, love, that is.

Yes, we've all seen it on TV, who doesn't enjoy Antiques Roadshow of a Sunday evening, although it's not as big as it looks on the telly.

Opened in 1779, the pieces in question were pieces of cloth, products of local weavers showcased and sold in a two-hour window every Saturday.

Deliberately constructed on a slope, two or three balconied levels depend on your end, with the internal rooms occupied by clothiers and their wares of dodgy provenance.

Not that it lasted for long, revolutionising industry replaced the cottage model, and within 40 years the venue was struggling to solely supply the fruits of the loom.

Outside of the Piece Hall, there's still evidence of the wealth amassed from the mills, and much of the Victorian elegance remains.

Built, because they could, during the boom times; that's not to say the bulldozers haven't been busy over the years. Where they have, however, is done sympathetically with the same coloured Yorkstone, none more so than at the modern shopping along Woolshops.

Woolshops, by the way, wasn't always home to M&S™; the medieval market was where wool was purchased, later woven and sold at the Piece Hall.

It's just a shame Woolworth™s didn't survive long enough to preserve the woolly connection, eh?

Meanwhile, back at the Piece Hall, by the second half of the 19th century, fish, fruit and veg had moved in.

On a strictly wholesale basis, the gates were shut to all but those in the trade, including the occasional public performance to which townsfolk looked forward to as a treat.

The market continued for nearly 100 years until its viability was too called into question. An open-air swimming pool was even proposed; there's a natural deep end, remember, or you could knock it all down?

There was competition for the cucumbers up at the late-Victorian Borough Market.

All wrought iron and glass, it became necessary when an Act of Parliament, no less, restricted trading on the street, although that might have been more down to the slaughtering of animals.

Today's butchers do nice lines in pies, but it's not exclusively about the food. Fabrics still have a following in Halifax, and the ornate centrepiece clock keeps the correct time.

Speaking of which, this visit is realised to be far too brief, and the clock at the PAY & DISPLAY comes with a fine. Having said that, Bob did waste 15 minutes figuring out how to pay. What's wrong with three pound coins man! Right codgers?

Meanwhile, back at the Piece Hall, the most recent restoration was in 2017, and fleshpots occupy the lower level peppering the courtyard.

Knick-knack providers and local businesses rent the rooms upstairs, and a heritage centre confirms this as a significant visitor attraction. Not only that, the open space hosts major outdoor events with the likes of Paul Weller and, erm, McFly making a noise.

There's also the polite applause of a surprisingly high valuation on Antiques Roadshow, of course.

Hang on a second! Who's this guy? He looks familiar? Why, it's only Howard from the Halifax Building Society ads from the early noughties.

He's looking a bit dishevelled, these days, and can be found singing and dancing for pennies on the pavement. He's not had much work on, you see, since Lloyds Bank™ took them over, and they've made their stamp on the town.

The glassy eyesore isn't totally new, but a facelift for the former Halifax HQ. One thing's for sure, it will be outlived by the Piece Hall.

Speaking of which, U2 are touring again and we're lucky enough to have tickets for this evening's concert. It's a long way for the Piece Hall from the 1820s and demonstration flights of balloons full of hot air.

Well, not until Bono gets all up on his high horse in between songs, eh?