Piece Hall in mix for top award

Top draw: The Piece Hall is in the final three for a national travel writers tourism award

Following a presentation at an event in London on Tuesday evening, held at the National Liberal Club in Whitehall, The Piece Hall was selected as one of three finalists in the UK category of the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW) Annual Tourism Awards.

One of the key aims of the renovation is to use the beautiful Grade I listed Georgian building as major selling for both Halifax and wider Calderdale to bring in tourists, providing a boost to the area’s economy.

Award-winning travel writer, Stuart Forster, who featured The Piece Hall on his blog, www.go-eat-do.com, said: “I was impressed by the restoration of The Piece Hall and how it fits within an ambitious, broadly inclusive plan to revitalise a part of Halifax that is steeped in history. It’s a magnificent building and I think the changes will help draw many more visitors to the town.

BGTW chair Alastair McKenzie explained: “For nearly two decades the BGTW tourism awards have been prominently displayed to visitors at some of the world’s most prestigious and interesting tourism attractions and projects. New projects in the UK, Europe and the Wider World are ‘discovered’ by Guild members as they travel, and presented to their colleagues at a meeting each September. The shortlisted three, for each category, are then voted on by the whole membership.

“I was at the selection evening and was one of those won over by Stuart’s enthusiastic presentation, so I am delighted The Piece Hall will be one of the contenders for the UK category.”

The winner will be named at The Savoy Hotel in London at a gala dinner on Sunday, November 5.

The next business which has annouced it is opening a shop in the Piece Hall is the Yorkshire Soap Company, which was founded in Hebden Bridge and now has outlets in key tourism towns York, Leeds, Beverley, Knaresborough and the original Hebden Bridge outlet.

The big next event there is The People’s Fair on September 30 and October 1, which will include an epic finale to Landlines and Watermarks, a cultural programme that, since April, has been taking place throughout Calderdale.