The Silver Jubilee Village Hall

 

This flyer is believed to have been circulated in 1950

First elaborate, expensive plan

  This is how the extension to the old Social hall was envisaged on the second plan.

Unfortunately World War 2  intervened and it wasn’t until the late 40s that planning got under way again.  Various designs and type of buildings were considered.

The first design in 1946 was very elaborate and far too expensive and suitable materials were in short supply

Mr C Weston of Manor Farm and Chairman of the Committee spent time and effort trying to purchase a suitable hut surplus to requirements at RAF Silverstone to no avail.

The second design in 1949 above was simpler and was drawn up by Mr Harris, a resident of the village, but was still beyond the fund and grant raising efforts in the village. At this time it was also decided that the site was really unsuitable in respect of parking and access.

In 1950 the Committee decided to investigate the purchase of a new site in Chestnut Road behind the Coffee Pot Inn. Messrs P Phipps the owners of the Coffee Pot and adjacent land agreed to sell and at the same time the sale of the Social Club and the land behind was initiated.

The remainder of that year and the next were involved with legal wrangling regarding the sale and purchase of the sites and sorting out trustees and the relating documentation.

In 1952 Mr Harris obtained the necessary planning permission (see the approved plans dated 2^nd June 1952) for the construction of the present hall using a system of a precast concrete frame and infill panels with a Trafford asbestos cement roof on tubular steel trusses. The Committee obtained a partial grant but this was dependant on volunteer labour being used.

‘Those responsible for the work and to whom Yardley Gobion owes its eternal gratitude are: Mr. A.N. Harris (architect and general advisor), Mr. E.G. Dickens (hon. Secretary), Messrs. J. Atkins, D. Atkins, L. Dickens, D. Phillips, T. Smith, F. Horton, D. Shakeshaft, W. Lambert, F. Ratcliffe, J. Odell, A. Skinner, S. Carter, J. Clarke, E. Nicholls, S. Herbert, G. Dunkley, and E. Noble.’

‘The committee was ably led by veteran chairman and active public and social worker, Mr. Charles Weston.’

Wolverton Express 6 November 1953

 

15 VOLUNTEERS BUILT A VILLAGE HALL

CONGRATULATIONS FROM M.P.AND A MINISTRY

 Fifteen months ago ‘a gallant band’ of 15 villagers of Yardley Gobion started out on a ambitious venture-to build in their spare time a village hall they had dreamed about for 17 years

On Saturday the 15 volunteer builders were congratulated on their ‘dream’ hall as they sat with 200 other villagers in the result of their leisure hour labours- one of the finest village Halls in Northamptonshire.

Opening the hall, Mrs. A. Rickaby-daughter of the man who gave £200 to the building fund, Mr George Beale- appealed to the villagers to make the venture a permanent success. She said as she opened the building with the fervent hope that it would become the community centre of village life and bring much happiness to them all.

 

 

HEART OF THE VILLAGE

Congratulating the voluntary workers on their outstanding achievement Sir Reginald Manningham-Butler, M.P. for South Northamptonshire said he hoped for the day when every village of a similar size in his division had as good a hall as the extremely good hall of Yardley Gobion.

A village hall made a tremendous difference to village life, said Sir Reginald. It formed the centre-the heart-of the whole village. Such a hall was worth looking after and he hoped that steps would be taken to see that it was not defaced.

“I hope that all in Yardley Gobion will thoroughly enjoy this hall which is a new and valuable asset to the village” he concluded.

MINISTRY PRAISE

Congratulations also came from the Ministry of Education and they were conveyed bv H.M. Inspector J.H.P. Rea who said he and all his colleagues were most impressed by the single-mindedness of purpose and determination of the Yardley Gobion Village Hall Committee.

Mr Rea said “I do not know about faith moving mountains but I do know that faith built a most creditable village hall. This has arisen because you yourselves wanted it.

A Village Hall was looked upon by the Ministry as a place where voluntary education could be held and stimulated.

Expressing the congratulations of the Northamptonshire Rural Community Council Mrs. J.T.H. Pettit said it was a splendid achievement. “All of Yardley Gobion must be expressly proud because the hall has been built by voluntary labour” she said.

Mr A.N. Harris, the county architect who drew up the plansof the hall, moved a vote of thanks to the workers and suppliers of materials. He paid tribute to the work of Mr Ernest Dickens, hon. Secretaryto the village hall committee, who he said was the driving force behind the band of volunteer builders.

After thanking various firms who had helped by supplying materials and lending their foremen to give expert advice, Mr Harris said “We became almost hardened scroungers to get the hall finished but it was in a good cause and we have clear consciences”.

 

GALE “TEST”

He recalled arising in thr middle of the night during a gale and going to the hall to see if the roof was safe.

Seconding the vote of thanks to a “very gallant band of men” Mr Dickens said.”I ask you in return to treat the hall properly, to support it and above all to use it to its fullest advantage”.

Chairman of the Village Hall Committee Mr C.H.Weston presided at the opening ceremony. Later Yardley Gobions first village hall dance celebrated the opening of the building on 31^st October 1953.

First use of the new hall

Les Dickens          Keith Rock          Bill Lambert          Fred Kightley

Ern Dickens

The tea ladies

Hilda Kightley         ——— Dickens             ———Horton

 

‘Those responsible for the work and to whom Yardley Gobion owes its eternal gratitude are: Mr. A.N. Harris (architect and general advisor), Mr. E.G. Dickens (hon. Secretary), Messrs. J. Atkins,Atkins, L. Dickens, D. Phillips, T. Smith,Horton, D. Shakeshaft, W. Lambert, F. Ratcliffe, J. Odell, A. Skinner, S. Carter, J. Clarke, E. Nicholls, S. Herbert, G. Dunkley, and E. Noble.’

‘The committee was ably led by veteran chairman and active public and social worker, Mr. Charles Weston.’

Wolverton Express 6 November 1953