Sheffield Town Hall: Inside the Lord Mayor’s parlour - with a toilet ‘fit for a Queen’

Sheffield Town Hall is one of the only Grade I listed buildings in Sheffield city centre, alongside Sheffield Cathedral. To give a magnitude of the place, a report has revealed that repairs to the town hall, including major restoration and safety works, will cost between £20m and £50m.

Tucked away at the top of the marble staircase is the Lord Mayor’s parlour, Coun Dunn’s reception room.

The Lord Mayor’s parlour is in the private quarters, whereas downstairs is designated for events, meetings, and weddings as well as staff’s offices.

While the Town Hall needs extensive restoration work, the overall aesthetic of the place is majestic.

Inside the Lord Mayor’s ‘glamorous studio apartment’

Coun Dunn greets me at her door, welcoming me into her work ‘home.’

The stained glass window as you walk in catches your attention before you cast your eye at the large desk and chair underneath. Large cabinets containing prized silver, a Sheffield-made sword, and a model of HMS Sheffield decorate the edges of the large room.

By the magnificent fireplace is a sofa, armchairs, and side tables littered with a range of Sheffield-focused literature.

While the Victorian architecture is eye-catching, being a fitness fiend, I notice the rolled-up yoga mats placed next to Coun Dunn’s desk.

“I wanted to bring a bit of zen to the place,” said Coun Dunn with a smile on her face.

Coun Dunn explained how she has refreshed the stunning albeit dated parlour with her own artwork. A painting of the bronze Women Of Steel statue catches my eye - a poignant reminder of the women who worked in the steel industries during the First and Second World Wars.

“Who’s painted that?” I enquired.

Coun Dunn replies: “Me, for Art in the Gardens.”

A keen artist and passionate councillor, Coun Dunn has exhibited at Art in the Gardens, the north’s largest outdoor art market, held at grade II-listed Sheffield Botanical Gardens.

I go to sit around the large mahogany table to interview Coun Dunn.

I’m in awe of her. Some days she’s hosting civic ceremonies, and other days she’s working in her own beauty salon, and sometimes doing both in one day. Somewhere in between, she’s finding time to do yoga, art, and community work.

Is there no end to Coun Dunn’s talents?

I find out that this living woman of steel is the first single woman and single mother to hold this office and is the 21st female Lord Mayor of Sheffield.

Coun Dunn’s consort is indeed her son Tom, whom she raised in Walkley, in the suburbs of the city. With a one-year-old on her hip, she decided to train as a beautician at what’s now known as Sheffield College, formerly Granville.

While living hand-to-mouth, she eventually became a beautician before becoming a tutor and setting up her own salon. During this time that she also started becoming seriously interested in politics.

With the same rigour as she has put into her career in the beauty industry, now armoured with more confidence, Coun Dunn has made her way up the ranks.

She has proudly worn the Lord Mayor of Sheffield’s Chain of Office, symbolising the industrial character of the city for the past year.

The chain is made in 18-carat gold, weighing 1,555 grams. The ribbon, 27 chain links long, also holds the city’s motto.

Sitting on the Queen’s ‘throne’

After our interview, I needed the toilet. I am always intrigued to see people’s bathrooms. Coun Dunn said the toilet had to be redone for Queen Elizabeth II’s visit on Maundy Thursday in 2015.

I was quite literally about to sit on the late Queen’s ‘throne.’

In my head, if I were to be a Queen, I’d have a diamond-encrusted seat with a lavish gold basin and raw silk hand towels.

At first glance, I was slightly disappointed. It was a fairly standard toilet, no frills, just clean and spruced up with Coun Dunn’s personal touch of designer hand soap and perfume. There is a small window overlooking Sheffield City Centre.

I thought of the late Queen using the loo while casting her eye over our city.

There’s also a modest dressing room and sink separating the parlour and the toilet, which smelled divine with Coun Dunn’s reed diffusers.

Afterwards, Coun Dunn added: “I like to waft the room with a bit of sage in between council meetings to add a bit of zen to the place.”

I can see why Coun Dunn has proved popular with our steel city community. It’s certainly less grim up north.

Hear Jayne Dunn’s interview in full by listening to the Mrs Yorkshire podcast here.