Built in 1962/63 Alfold Hall is the culmination of many years hard work by locals of the time. In 2005 another era for the Hall saw the building extended; the kitchen enlarged, toilets refurbished; disabled facilities added and the “Green Room” built. 2015 then saw the Hall move further into the 21st century with the introduction of a surround sound system, stage lights, projector and screen.

The Hall is managed by a small committee of volunteers. Regular users include a toddlers group, short mat bowls, pilates lessons, dance classes and a well attended monthly lunch club. The Hall is also used for touring theatre, dances, wedding receptions and children’s parties. The Hall is managed by a committee of volunteers.

COVID and 2020 shone a new light on the role of village halls and community associations with our committee quickly becoming aware of and competent on Zoom to communicate remotely. This enabled us to set up a support group working in collaboration with other local groups to ensure all our residents were safe, had supplies of shopping and prescriptions along with moral support and just a chat on the phone to reduce the feeling of isolation and concern.

The resident’s mastery of Zoom enabled us to establish Quiz nights to replace our monthly pub nights allowing people to remain in touch and keep the banter going!

At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 we ensured the hall was COVID safe within the government guidelines (with clarity provided by ACRE and CIB) enabling its continued use, including a tuition group throughout the summer. During the latest lockdown the hall has been closed for hire with the playing fields and playground (when permitted) remaining open, providing an open space for people to exercise.

Our hall, playground and adjoining playing fields support the village of Bellingdon and hamlet of Asheridge; it is located two miles north of Chesham, and situated along a ridge, typical of the Chiltern Hills.

It is built on ground donated by Miss Marion Thompson, a local resident and officially opened on 6th November 1948. Until 1965 the land adjoining was rented for use as a playing field but in that year, we were able to purchase it by local fundraising.

The hall facilities have been continuously improved enabling it to be used for a diverse range of activities from village groups, community events, exercise classes, and family celebrations especially children’s parties and weddings. In recent years it has established itself as a festival venue for Brazilian dancing. The playing fields with separate changing rooms support local football leagues and training.

The pandemic has been a huge learning curve, clearly demonstrating the importance of village halls and community associations and their flexibility in adapting to the changing and diverse requirements of their communities.

The Land and buildings currently in use today comprise an attached cottage, the main hall with a second smaller hall and kitchen on the ground floor, plus a meeting room upstairs.

The above premises and land were initially leased from Baronet Sir Phillip Egerton in 1898, on a 40-year lease, to a group of trustees lead by Rt Hon, Lord Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor (2nd Duke of Westminster)

This lease arrangement remained in place until February 1927, when the hall, cottage and land were purchased by the trustees from the Egerton estate for £50.

Originally named Bickerton Recreation Club, it then became the Village Institute, and finally Bickerton Village Hall.

The hall remains run to this day by elected trustees.

The hall is used on a regular basis by the following groups.

In addition to this there are a number of less frequent, yet important activities held at the hall outlined below. My thanks to trustee, Nigel Briers for the inclusion below.

ART EXHIBITION.

Since 2006 this rural village hall has been the centre of a hugely successful and popular art exhibition. Over 500 original paintings submitted by some 150 artists are displayed for sale over an 8-day period from 10am to 5pm each day in the last week of July. Over the years it has grown and there is a waiting list for entries, which are on a first come basis. The art displays a wide range of interests and abilities and this is reflected in prices ranging from £20 to £1000. Each year we sell over 20% of all exhibits which is generally held as a real success.

Each year about 800 people visit the exhibition and are met by a team of volunteers from both members of the community and some artists. Over 100 people help at each exhibition and this includes reception of visitors/sales of cards/ and the ever-popular refreshments sales which involves many more volunteers donating cakes for sale. The sale of teas and coffees and cakes will bring in a net profit of some £1,000 each year.

The support from the small community which serves the village as well as the support in setting up and running the exhibition by some of the artists really helps inspire the spirit of community. The quality of the refreshments enables a growing number of people to spend time meeting and discussing art as well as buying cakes. We invite artists to set up their stall and demonstrate their work. So, the artists in residence combined with the separate room for the sale of their cards and the paintings on view enable visitors to spend quite some time enjoying the exhibition. The free parking available in an enormous car park and the rural and beautiful setting makes this a special event in our calendar.

The pandemic led to the cancellation of the 2020 exhibition. We will have to see when we can next begin. I am confident that our past success will enable the community to re-start its planning with a view to even more success in the future.

Nigel Briers

MUSIC AND THEATRE AT BICKERTON VILLAGE HALL

For over 15 years Bickerton Village hall has promoted a wide range of musical and theatrical events. Our membership of the Cheshire Rural Touring Arts network enabled us to put on numerous plays which were generally well attended. This live theatre was always a challenge in the Hall but all groups made a special effort to adjust to the facilities available. We were part of a large network supported by staff from Chester and Cheshire West Council who in turn have Arts council funding.

We also on our own arranged a large number of musical evening covering Skiffle/Pop/Jazz/Big Band and Classical. With refreshments often available and reasonable costs we generally sold most seats. We welcomed many performers most notably the Doghouse Skiffle Band from Hull who made 2 appearances to a wildly supportive audience. We welcomed new talent like guitarist Remi Harris and the ever-popular folk group the Houghton Weavers. Several visits have also been made by Ninebarrow a folk duo from Dorset with a growing following. We have also held some notable poetry evenings.

One final highlight was the performance of Sue Tysoe from the Black Theatre group who performed in a largely one person shows as a bag lady. She was quite outstanding and appreciated by a lively audience.

Although there are theatres in Chester/Crewe and Mold many people do not get to visit these places who can be quite expensive. The local theatre and music events do provide people of all ages the real opportunity to share in live events. We do hope to see the early return of such activities.

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After the First World War, the village wished to have a Memorial Hall of those who had lost their lives. A wooden army building in Denham was purchased and re-erected on a site at the corner of Market Place and Church Lane. This served the community well for many years until the major population increase in the 1950’s following the end of building restrictions on new homes.

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By 1957 the old building was becoming uneconomic to maintain, nor could it be enlarged. A Committee was set up to find a site and negotiate with the County Council for a new “Community Centre”. The old building and site was sold, to be replaced by shops and living accommodation.

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Bucks County Council erected a new Community Centre in 1961-62 on a site at Mill Meadow owned by Amersham Rural District Council. The original building comprised the Hall and Stage, Players room, Mary Smithells room, Foyer, office and toilets.

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A wooden plaque commemorates the formal opening on 15th.March 1962 by Lord Curzon of Bucks C.C. The full title, as required by the Charity Commissioners, was “Chalfont St.Peter Memorial Garden and Community Association”, to maintain the link with the former Memorial Hall. The Book of Remembrance, displayed in the Members room, contains the names of all village residents killed in the 1914-18 and 1939-45 World Wars.

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After the opening ceremony, St.Peter Players gave a theatrical presentation. They have the longest links of any affiliated group with the Centre.

Links with Statutory Authorities

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The Centre was originally built by Buckinghamshire County Council, who provided a paid part-time Warden as manager. Chiltern District Council took over the arrangement, but halved the grant in 2001. The District Council and Chalfont St.Peter Parish Council both made generous grants towards the £50,000 cost of the 1992 extension. The Parish Council were our tenants from 1992 to 2006, and have made grants to various improvement projects over the years. Both the District Council and Parish Council appoint representatives to the Executive Committee. The Community Centre holds a 21 year lease from Chiltern District Council expiring in 2021.

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Mrs Mary Smithells became Chairman of the Executive Committee. Other committee members in the early years included three local tradespeople, Bill Stringer (builder and subsequently President), Doug Robertson (butcher) and Ken Claydon (greengrocer) . From industry came Frank Brooks MBE (Chairman of the Parish Council in 1966-67) who gave 25 years service as Treasurer. Dr.John Tappin from Medical Science served as Chairman, and as President until his death. The Centre’s officers and trustees have always served as unpaid volunteers.

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Over the years the Centre has been enlarged by the addition of a Members room, a bar, a boiler house, toilets for the disabled, the Chiltern room and most recently in 1992 by the Tony Graham room, named in memory of our late vice chairman. The Parish Council occupied part of the extension, which is now occupied by Apex Physiotherapy until 2006. Recently the bar was converted into the Misbourne Room and the Members Room was enlarged. The Community Centre also holds the lease for the Garden Club and St. Peter Player’s storage huts.

Most of the building is now over 60 years old, and maintenance is an increasing problem with wooden construction and flat roofs. Despite this the building is kept in tip top condition. Extensive maintenance costs have been incurred in recent years. The flooring has been replaced in most of the rooms, the toilets and the kitchen have been upgraded and the lighting has been converted to LED lighting.

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In view of the age of the building, the cost of maintenance and the demand for more space plans are afoot to replace it with hopefully with a new building. A Feasibility Study has been completed and the New Building committee are considering the next steps to achieve this end. Watch this space.

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After the First World War, the village wished to have a Memorial Hall of those who had lost their lives. A wooden army building in Denham was purchased and re-erected on a site at the corner of Market Place and Church Lane. This served the community well for many years until the major population increase in the 1950’s following the end of building restrictions on new homes.

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By 1957 the old building was becoming uneconomic to maintain, nor could it be enlarged. A Committee was set up to find a site and negotiate with the County Council for a new “Community Centre”. The old building and site was sold, to be replaced by shops and living accommodation.Bucks County Council erected a new Community Centre in 1961-62 on a site at Mill Meadow owned by Amersham Rural District Council. The original building comprised the Hall and Stage, Players room, Mary Smithells room, Foyer, office and toilets.

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A wooden plaque commemorates the formal opening on 15th.March 1962 by Lord Curzon of Bucks C.C. The full title, as required by the Charity Commissioners, was “Chalfont St.Peter Memorial Garden and Community Association”, to maintain the link with the former Memorial Hall. The Book of Remembrance, displayed in the Members room, contains the names of all village residents killed in the 1914-18 and 1939-45 World Wars.

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The Centre was originally built by Buckinghamshire County Council, who provided a paid part-time Warden as manager. Chiltern District Council took over the arrangement, but halved the grant in 2001. The District Council and Chalfont St.Peter Parish Council both made generous grants towards the £50,000 cost of the 1992 extension. The Parish Council were our tenants from 1992 to 2006, and have made grants to various improvement projects over the years. Both the District Council and Parish Council appoint representatives to the Executive Committee. The Community Centre holds a 21 year lease from Chiltern District Council expiring in 2021.Over the years the Centre has been enlarged by the addition of a Members room, a bar, a boiler house, toilets for the disabled, the Chiltern room and most recently in 1992 by the Tony Graham room, named in memory of our late vice chairman. The Parish Council occupied part of the extension, which is now occupied by Apex Physiotherapy until 2006. Recently the bar was converted into the Misbourne Room and the Members Room was enlarged. The Community Centre also holds the lease for the Garden Club and St. Peter Player’s storage

view of the age of the building, the cost of maintenance and the demand for more space plans are afoot to replace it with hopefully with a new building. A Feasibility Study has been completed and the New Building committee are considering the next steps to achieve this end. Watch this space.

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Chinnor

(Registered charity Number 304285)

Chinnor Village Hall is situated centrally within the

, which nestles at the bottom of the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire. It is a traditional build of that period - 1939. Surrounded by rural life Chinnor Village Hall is the ideal location offering excellent and modern facilities so as to accommodate as many varied events as possible. The original build has in recent years undergone two major refurbishments. Additional halls and facilities were added enlarging the capacity. The main hall and small hall are, in normal times booked out throughout each day including week-ends. The committee room, located upstairs, access via a lift for stairs, is an ideal room for smaller groups. The hirers are varid, covering all age groups from 0 to 100 and activities range from soft play, musical groups for toddlers, young drama groups, sports, badminto, short mat bowls, exercise, zumba, jazzasize, pilates, yoga, adult drama. The list is endless. Ad hoc bookings at week-ends accommodate, quiz nights, fund raising events, wedding receptions, birthday parties for both children and adults. Chinnor Village hall proudly supports the NHS Blood Donor sessions and free training courses held by our First Responder, showing residents how to use the defibrillator which is installed in the main foyer. Moving through the COVID19 pandemic and 3 complete lockdown periods has in itself had its challenges. However, the Committee has worked together to comply with all Government requirements to ensure Chinnor Village Hall is as COVID Compliant as it can be. Many regular classes are eager to return once it is saf to do so, and the Committee are confident that Chinnor Village Hall will continue to provide an amazing facilitiy for the community in years to come.

Dunster Memorial Hall was originally a malt house which was rebuilt in 1921 as a gift from Alexander Luttrell as a memorial to those in the local community who had served and died in World War 1. It has served as a village hall until the present day.

Since 1971 the Hall has housed the

which consists of over 2,500 dolls of which up to 1,000 are on display to the public seven days a week and since 2012 after some structural alterations a local museum has been added which covers the history of Dunster since medieval times.

As part of the museum project the Hall is a home for the

group who conduct archaeological digs in the local area, and this has unearthed evidence of the original 13th century priory and evidence of a Roman settlement. These finds and future finds can be found on display in the local museum.

Other facilities provided in the Hall for the local community are a meeting room, a snooker room and a small cinema showing current film shows.

Dunster Memorial Hall is run as a Charity, overseen by the Charity Commission, by a group of Trustees.

We are very excited to have begun a long awaited community-led extension project at Edstaston Village Hall on land donated by a member of our community. We are extending and updating the hall, providing disabled access and facilities, a new kitchen, storage and extra outside space for social events - so important in these uncertain times…you can follow progress on our website

. Edstaston Village Hall belongs to the community and dates back to 1922 when an old WW1 hut was bought and moved to land donated by the Chomondoley family. In 1977 after 3 years of fundraising and with local government grants, the current brick building was opened. There are few families who haven’t celebrated an event in Edstaston Village Hall and the new renovations will ensure this continues for many years to come.

and Facebook Edstaston Village Hall

We’re based in the heart of Fairfield, ideally located for local residents.

The community is our business – the venue where everyone, whatever their age, can come together. It is a fantastic place that we share with the community.

There are two halls – Oak and Chestnut – that are both light and bright with lovely feature windows based on the style of the former Three Counties Hospital – now the Fairfield Hall apartments. They are used for all events, from fitness classes and wine clubs to birthday parties and meetings of the various management companies, and of course, the Fairfield Parish Council who meet here monthly.

Both halls have sliding walls – one is adorned with a mural by a local artist that traces the history of Fairfield from its beginning in the 1850s’ as an asylum to the present day village.

The walls can be pushed back to reveal additional space provided by the Birch Room. And there’s a handy kitchen right alongside.

Our venue also includes the

, a spot that can be used for small meetings and interviews, or as short-term office space.

Outside, we’re lucky to be close to Fairfield’s Victorian Apple Orchards – which provide us with a bountiful supply of fruit for the community, especially for Apple Day that is hosted here each year.

We are a vibrant community hub

at the heart of our tiny village of Fradswell (approx 170 residents).

We provide local opportunities

to meet, socialise,

learn, share

and shop.

Our village has no amenities other than our hall. We run regular coffee mornings, a monthly lunch club, a monthly community shop, cafe and repair shop, as well as a regular Pop-Up Bar night and various events.

We now have a number of what have become annual local ‘traditions’ which our community looks forward to every year.

Our annual Apple festival, ‘Frapfest’, at which we chop and press local apples, supplied by our community, using the extracted juice to make Fradswell cider, with the apple pulp going to local compost heaps and local pig food!

Our annual ‘Wassail’ event. A spectacular family evening of flaming torches, singing, banging of instruments and saucepans, all to Wassail and ‘wake up’ our community apple trees and encourage a good crop of apples later in the year for our cider!

Our free summer barbeque is always a popular evening, celebrating Fradswell community and our lovely village hall.

Throughout the 2020/21 pandemic, we have had a team of volunteers ready to help anyone needing shopping, prescriptions etc, or even just a chat. Our free weekly exercise class has continued to run online, via Zoom, keeping community together and healthy! We’ve also distributed Boredom Buster bags to many in our community struggling with isolation.

Our hope for the future is to keep our wonderful community engaged, welcoming, caring, sustainable and forward-looking -and as special a place to be, as it is now.

Havers Community Centre offers two rooms which can also be joined into one large room with shared kitchen facilities, wifi and car parking. There is also a committee room for small meetings/lessons. The Centre usually has many users who host a variety of activities from Brownies/Cubs sessions to St John’s Ambulance Training, and many other private functions and events, such as a diverse array of exercise classes to wedding receptions and family parties. Its larger hall can normally accommodate up to 70 people and its smaller hall up to 40. The centre has been made Covid-secure, and remains open for the NHS to use free of charge twice a week during this Global Covid-19 Pandemic. The centre is an important part of the Bishop’s Stortford community and usually offers regular church services, mother and baby groups and other social gatherings such as an annual international lunch event, where people from different countries come together to celebrate

connections and get to know one another a little better. We look forward to re-opening further and re-engaging with the local community, as and when we can, in line with the latest Government Guidance.

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was opened in

had a stage and was used for a large number of events – concerts, fund raising sales, meetings, parties and wedding receptions. It was demolished in the 1960s to make way for redevelopment.

A Steering Committee and a Fund Raising Committee were set up to help organise the re-building of a new village hall. The County Council allocated land at West Square which was previously the site of the Garibaldi pub, Bakers Garage and F W Jones (carpenters and undertakers).

The new complex wou