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Open the bronze doors of the Nottingham Council House
and you are greeted by an entrance hall of impressive grandeur - complete
with columns, floor and staircase in Italian marble.
Inlaid in the floor of the entrance hall is a mosaic of the city's
coat of arms. The centrepiece, a green ragged cross on a red shield
surrounded by three golden coronets, probably dates back to the reign
of Richard II; when Parliament decreed that every 'Clothing Town'
should attach a coat of arms to every piece of cloth produced as a
kind of trade mark and guarantee of quality. The motto 'Vivit Post
Funera Virtus' means 'Virtue Outlives Death'.
The painting at the top of the first flight of stairs of the grand
staircase is a reminder of the trading which used to take place in
the old Exchange building.
It was painted by Denholm Davis, who was also responsible for the
four historic murals which can be seen under the dome by looking upwards
in the shopping arcade.
The cast bronze figure at the top of the first flight of stairs, which
is set in a niche in the wall, is called 'Welcome'. It was modelled
by Sir William Reid Dick, sculptor of the Roosevelt Memorial in Grosvenor
Square, London.
Continue the tour of the Nottingham
Council House. |
