Textile Operatives' Hall, Silver Street, Bury

The Textile Operatives' Hall, in Manchester Road, built at a cost of about £8,000 by local textile associations, viz.: the Bury, Radcliffe and District Weavers' and Winders' Association and the Bury and District Card, Blowing and Ring Spinners' Association, and opened by Lady Dilke, May 5th, 1894, is a two storey structure of brick and stone from designs by Mr. David Hardman, architect. The panels on the front elevation have carved illustrations of the different branches of the textile industry. [Kelly] 

Above the porch of the central doorway is a semi-circular carved panel of two female figures representing Spinning (her right hand resting on a spinning wheel) and Weaving (holding a shuttle, a power loom at her feet). On the upper storey between the two windows either side of the central porch are carved panels depicting the textile trades. The left-hand side panel represents carding, a male operative standing in front of a carding engine. The right-hand side panel depicts two female operatives doffing bobbins on a roving frame. The panels were the work of the Manchester firm, Whittick and Royle. The building included meeting rooms as well as offices for trade union officials.