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P L Y M O U T H [2/3] “Once inside the still used democratic part of the Council House, a smaller section attached to the civic centre, I found the building charming. As a young outsider, I didn’t know what it meant to be ‘Plymouth,’ but the inside of the Council House perfectly encapsulates it. The foyer was designed to mimic the p**p deck of the Mayflower, with a large staircase leading up to the city gold, all underneath the city crest. There was some new technology, but what stood out was the original sixties furniture, fabric and four large books of photographs of all the lord mayors; a real sense of history and continuity.” • Jack Reeves is a student in Plymouth is full of stories of our country’s Town Halls and civic buildings. It is available to buy via the link in the bio 📚 — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/2SiHy9Y

S T O C K P O R T [2/3] “Stockport is not generally known for its fine architecture; in fact, one of its most recent developments attracted the Carbuncle Award, which is not something to be proud of. But we can be proud of our magnificent town hall.” • Sue Hawkins is a child and educational psychologist. is full of stories of our country’s Town Halls and civic buildings. It is available to buy via the link in the bio 📚 — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/2RApHpR

S T O C K P O R T [1/3] “Exploring the old town hall in my Wow glasses, I felt a sense of connection to the past, to all the thousands of other people who had been public servants in this building.” • Sue Hawkins is a child and educational psychologist. is full of stories of our country’s Town Halls and civic buildings. It is available to buy via the link in the bio 📚 — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/2MHLPgV

B E T H N A L G R E E N [1/3] “A luxury cream carpet hushes the Council Chamber. The important words spoken here are more likely to be marriage vows than a debate on the housing crisis. Five beautifully restored deco chandeliers bathe the wood panelled room in a rich brass tinged light. There’s style without content. As a condition of the sale of the building to a Malaysian hotel chain the council retains the right to use the chamber three times a year, but rarely does.” Dawn Reeves is a writer, story activist and consultant to local government. is full of stories of our country’s Town Halls and civic buildings. It is available to buy via the link in the bio 📚 — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/2QYX8SB

C O V E NT R Y [2/3] “The council has recently relocated many of its staff to a new purpose-built building, cheaper to operate and a catalyst for major office and commercial development around Coventry station. There is a business and commercial case underpinning the move. Most of the staff I talk to like the new building – it’s clean, comfortable, modern and IT enabled. But the democratic operations have stayed put in the old building that, devoid of operational staff, remains a costly symbol of local power and civic pride.” Chris West is a former council finance director, now an independent consultant. is full of stories of our country’s Town Halls and civic buildings. It is available to buy via the link in the bio 📚 — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/2FcQvKV