Do you have memories of working in the Leeds Municipal Building on Calverley Street? Leeds Library Service is keen to hear from you, as their local history Librarians begin an exciting new project exploring the heritage of one of the city centre’s most iconic Victorian buildings.

First opened in 1884, the Municipal Building has variously (and, at times, simultaneously) been home to the City’s Engineers, rate departments, police force, Museum service, and much more – but is now the home of Leeds Central Library and the always-popular Tiled Hall Café, which connects the Library to the neighbouring Art Gallery.

It is hoped that the many hundreds of people who have worked in the building over the years will have more than their fair share of quirky and interesting stories to tell – including the time a live snake escaped from a Museum ‘Living Exhibition,’ disappearing into the depths of the Library, never to be seen again! There have also been numerous reports of spooky and un-explainable sights and occurrences – not surprising for a building that can boast more than 130-years of history.

So, whether you were a museum curator, city policeman, Librarian, or one of the many joiners, electricians or builders who worked there over the years – the Library Service would love to chat to you and find out more about some of the amazing stories and secrets the building holds, as they work toward publishing an illustrated book detailing its rich heritage.

The research team working on the book are especially keen to gather the kind of everyday nitty-gritty of working life that often escapes an official building or organisational history, as they are rarely recorded in archival documentation – the finer details of the portcullis system at the Calverley Street entrance, for instance, or specifics of changes to the building layout through the decades – plus much, much more about the after-hours staff parties which they’ve been told took place in the 1960s…

So, if you have these or any other memories to share, please get in touch with us on  0113 37 86982 or localandfamilyhistory@leeds.gov.uk

You can view many more historic images of the Municipal Buildings on the Leodis website.