History of Ashwell Village Hall
On 7th December 1922 the new Ashwell Village Hall was opened by Lord Robert Cecil. Thanks were given to Mrs Fordham of Ashwell Bury for her generosity in converting the ‘shell’ into a hall, a task which was masterminded by the architect, Mr Morley Horder.
Lord Cecil gave a talk on the League of Nations and then there was the presentation of Red Cross War Service medals. This was followed by tea and refreshments, which raised £30. In the evening there was entertainment by Mr Dan Hall and his concert party.
At a public meeting the previous year a large majority decided that a Village Hall would be a valuable asset to village life and that the Maltings, formerly Page’s Brewery, would be suitable for conversion. The building cost £500 and the conversion would be £750, which Mrs Fordham offered to pay. There were a series of fund-raising events throughout the year and the Women’s Institute provided 130 chairs. It was proposed that there would be facilities for a Reading Room, Billiard and Games Room, Public Baths, a large Hall for Concerts and Library.
Initially the Village Hall was much used by the newly formed Men’s Club, a Theatre Club. The Women’s Institute and a thriving Choral Society.
© Peter Greener | Ashwell Village Museum