Arborfield Village Hall History Page
The Village hall will be celebrating 95 years of serving Arborfield
in October next year. To celebrate the occasion we are planning to have a number of events of local and community interest combined.
For example, June Durrant is hoping to publish her 2nd book about the Coombes School, following on from where her first book, "The School In the Wood", ended. We hope by the time of our 95th Anniversary she will have printed copies ready for signing.
The Royal Observer Corps had a memorial stone erected in tribute to their service close to the bridge over Observer Way, near where they used to operate. For various reasons they have not yet had a proper celebration of their wartime contribution, this could be a great opportunity to do this.
Then, as we did for our 90th anniversary we would like to put some displays up of local history and artefacts of local interest. There is a wealth of research available to display, carefully collected and collated by the Arborfield History Society and financially supported by Arborfield and Newland Parish Council. For example, the wonderful hand drawn map of the Parish, old photographs of the original village hall management, the handwritten minutes from 1931 that take us through the second world war, and the beautiful calligraphy of the original title deed.
We have many activities running at the hall and when we celebrated 90 years we had "taster" sessions running so people could try some of them out. It would be great fun to do that again. Try your hand at an art class, or your legs at dancing, or how about your vocal chords at singing?
Last, but by no means least, we would like to have an official opening of our new and upgraded facilities. The new projector and wide screen, the solar panels generating our own electricity, the refurbished toilets and the improved push button access at the front door and disabled toilet. This will require a "Special Guest" to cut the ribbon, but who will it be?
Full programme of events to be published nearer the time!
