The funding of the building's initial construction is a tale in itself. The Methodist church asked its members across the country to donate a guinea each for the initial fund, in what became known as the 'Million Guinea Fund', and it worked. In 1904, only six years after the fund was established, the money was collected and today is commemorated in the 'Historic Roll' which takes pride of place in one of the large rooms off the main vestibule, where you can look at the 50 volumes where the name, address and signature of each person who donated is recorded. I asked Paul to show me the records for the Dudley Methodist 'circuit' and was amazed to find that I recognised many of the family names, which are still very much in evidence in the local area to this day.
What's even more amazing is that only a quarter of the fund was actually used to buy the land on which the Central Hall stands, and to finance its construction. The other three quarters was used to build chapels, missions, schools and to support its temperance work across the country, as well as funding the church's overseas missionaries. The building itself is designed in a ornate Viennese baroque style, and has an absolutely magnificent grand staircase that takes you up to the building's breathtaking heart - the Central Hall itself which can seat over 2000 people. Ironically, the main staircase was used as a stand-in for the Royal Albert Hall in the 'Calendar Girls' movie - ironic because the interior of that building is actually quite plain in comparison to this wedding cake of a place!
The building's architectural oddities don't stop there though, as Edwardian engineering comes into play in the main auditorium. In addition to an incredible 4,731 pipe organ, the original designers decided that, in the days before amplification technology was invented, they needed a way to ensure that sermons could be heard from any point in this massive chamber even if the speaker didn't have a booming voice. So, using the curve of domed ceiling they created a natural amplification point - stand at exactly the right spot beneath the dome (as I did yesterday) and every word you utter can be heard right at the back of the auditorium, even if you're speaking in a whisper! Another notable feature of the main hall are the hundreds of rather austere balcony seats, which have remained in situ since the 1930s when they were donated by none other than J Arthur Rank (of cinema fame) who was himself a committed Methodist.
Central Hall has lots of other interesting features including a special spot with significance for the BBC and a strange connection with HSBC, but I don't want to give away all of its secrets. Go on a tour yourself and you'll hear all about these fascinating aspects of this building, which sits at the heart of the Methodist Church in England. You can arrange a tour by emailing [email protected] or by telephoning on 020 76543826. I don't recommend that you just pitch up though, as in addition to being a place of worship the building is also a successful conference venue with many floors of large halls and rooms that are hired out for various events and functions throughout the year. Just in closing (and hopefully to further whet your appetite for a visit) one other notable thing I will tell you about is that just inside the building near the main entrance is a lifesize statue of the very diminutive John Wesley, founder of Methodism. After many years languishing outside a chapel in the home counties, the statue was moved to Central Hall some years ago for a special unveiling by the Queen. On removing the sheet covering Welsey's likeness she remarked that it was nice to meet someone who was even smaller than her!
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| From Methodist Central Hall June 2010 |
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