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01 Centenary Square |
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city centre is defined by Centenary
Square and City Hall, focus of
local democratic government. Bradford received its charter of incorporation
as a Borough in 1847. Later, it became the local government centre
of a Metropolitan District (1974). City Hall, with its sculpted monarchs
around the exterior, was opened on a very wet day in 1873. The open
space in front of City Hall was extended and refurbished to celebrate
the Centenary of the City Charter in 1997. |
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Square is used for many kinds of community gathering, from fairs and
festivals, to both angry & peaceful protests and for the culmination
of marches. |
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| Bradford
City Fire Memorial: On 11 May 1985, a fire at the Bradford
City football ground at Valley Parade, occurring during a live television
broadcast of a match, shocked the country. Fifty-six people died and
three hundred were injured. There are many stories of bravery and
kindnesses on that day and in the aftermath. Not least to record is
the generosity of the local Bangladeshi community, then one of the
newest immigrant groups to Bradford, many of whom were living in the
vicinity of the football ground. |
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party of civic visitors from Bradford's twin town of Hamm,
Germany, was at the match. One of the party was Joyce
Reisner who grew up in Wilsden. She asked the people of
Hamm to give a gift to Bradford in response to her experience of the
fire. |
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This
memorial was sculpted by Joachim Reisner, her husband, whom she met
on an exchange visit to Hamm, aged only 15. |
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The
Memorial was given to the City in May 1986, in the presence of the
first Asian Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor
Mohammed Ajeeb. |
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| Centenary
Square Memorial Garden To the west of the City Fire memorial
is a garden where there are several memorials. These have been dedicated
over the years, to some of the events and people, significant in the
life of the City. Some are described below. |
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'And
a mighty army came out of the north'
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The
'Bradford Pals' headstone
remembers those soldiers of Bradford, mostly young volunteers, of
the 16th and 18th Battalions of the West Yorkshire Regiment in the
First World War. Along with so many others, the battalions were decimated
on 1st July 1916 at the Battle of the Somme.
NB This has now been moved to the garden behind the Cenotaph (see site 07).
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The
Bradford City of Peace round plaque in the ground was placed
there in December 1997, recognising the Council Resolution of 13 October
1997, to declare Bradford a 'City of Peace'. This was on the
occasion of the International Peace Run (the Hindu Marathon),
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for the Sri Chimnoy Marathon team's visit to the city. The peace run
has inspired the dedication of over 700 peace sites and cities around
the world. The declaration recognises the people, organisations and
institutions in Bradford working to promote peace and justice. |
| Workers'
Memorial Day plaque was placed here in April 1994 in memory
of those killed and maimed in Bhopal,
India, and all workers maimed &
killed by work hazards. |
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| In
December 1984 there was a disastrous leakage of deadly gas from a
chemical factory in Bhopal, India. None of the safety systems
designed to contain such a leak were maintained. Twenty thousand people
have died; one hundred and twenty thousand still suffer as a result
of this negligence. The factory has never been properly cleaned. |
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are many Indian workers in Bradford's communities. |
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| A
plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of Oslobodenje
(a daily newspaper) in Sarajevo. 'To the citizens of Sarajevo, from
the citizens of Bradford. We are bound together in a common cause'.
In 1992, the headquarters of the paper came under heavy shelling.
The basement printing presses survived and are still in use. The paper
continued publication throughout the siege of Sarajevo. Bradford citizens
such as, for example, Geoff Robinson
(1947 - 2006) a local trade unionist and anti fascist campaigner, |
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organised
and led many humanitarian convoys to Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania during
the troubles. |
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The
Hiroshima & Nagasaki plaque under the cherry tree remembers
the dropping of atomic bombs on those Japanese cities on the 6th and
9th of August 1945. A remembrance event is held here for the 108,000
people who were killed instantly by the bomb. |
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Also,
for the thousands dying since from radiation sickness and injured
by the blasts, for those who are still suffering ill health, who lost
loved ones, who lost livelihoods, homes and communities. |
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The
plaque also carries the peace symbol adopted by the Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament (see
site 19) |
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City
Garden: the area behind City Hall shows Bradfordian humour.
It is set out as a seaside garden, opened for the Centenary
in June 1997, with a beautiful pebble mosaic designed by Maggie
Howorth. |
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Note:
The new design for Centenary Square involves a relocation of the memorials. |
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