On display is a photo
of Thomas J Pyper.
Thomas was the first General Manager
of the Fairfield Halls and started
this position on 3 July 1961.

‘Tom Pyper who died last week,
was perhaps the best liked
public figure in Croydon.
His job as General Manager
of the Fairfield Halls,
which brought him into contact
with a large number of Croydonians,
could have made him unpopular,
for the arts are a sensitive field.
Mr Pyper had in abundance
the necessary qualities of charm and tact,
and to him must go the largest
share of the credit
for the outstanding success
of Fairfield’s first ten years.
He will not be an easy man to follow.’

Croydon Advertiser February 11 1972.

Prior to his position
as General Manager,
Thomas Pyper was
the Entertainments Manager
for the City of Bristol
and was responsible
to that Council
for the Colston Hall.

45 Applications
were received for
the role of the Fairfield Halls
General Manager,
eight of which
were interviewed
by the Chairman
and Vice Chairman
of the Establishment Committee
and the Chairman
of the Civic Hall
Management committee.
Mr Pyper was
unanimously appointed
and had a starting annual salary
of £2,240.

Thomas Pyper was arguably
the person responsible for
the success of the Fairfield Halls
in its first ten years,
with the Wednesday series concerts,
film anthologies
of Croydon airport and steam railways
being his own ideas
within the Fairfield’s programming.
Thomas Pyper died in 1972
at the age of 56.

To find out more about
Thomas’ appointment,
visit our Research room to request
Council minutes
of May – December 1961.
The Establishment Committee meeting
was held on 1 May 1961.
The Research room can be found
on the lower ground floor
of the Croydon Clocktower
and is open Tues – Sat
from 10.30-17.00