Dawley town hall workers find treasures

Oh we do like to be in Dawley . . . This saucy seaside prop was just one of the items uncovered when volunteers set about clearing up a much-loved town hall.

A small army of helpers turned out yesterday to clean up Dawley town hall as part of Telford & Wrekin Council's bid to get it back into community use.

The hall, which dates back to the late 19th century, was a popular venue for shows, meetings and family celebrations for generations of Dawley residents.

It has been empty since former tenants Telford Stage School moved out in 2010 amid rows over the wording of its rent agreement.

Members of the public were also invited to drop in during yesterday's clean-up to tell councillors and council officers what they would like to see happen to the building.

Council spokesman Charlotte Baker said the response from the public had been overwhelmingly good.

She said: "We had a quite a few turn up, and even the people walking past, even if they didn't come in, were all very positive.

"We had Capgemini, the Dawley Regeneration Partnership and residents come to support us."

She said the volunteers had cleaned seating, removed some staging and a bar, and had also discovered the seaside silhouette.

The council is looking for funding to renovate the town hall.

Built as a temperance hall in 1873, it has also been home to Dawley Urban District Council and a variety theatre and was used at one time for Catholic church services.