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Part 1

Next year the Village Hall will be 100 years old and it seems apt to give a history of hthe building and its activities over the years. It is hoped to complete six episodes to be published monthly till the end of uthe year. A small sub-committee of the Hall will organise suitable celebrations during 2002. 

Villages all over the country had been building for various communal activities at the turn of the century and Hambledon’s chance came when several of the more benevolent members of the village banded together to erect the Hambledon institute. Land was given by the Mellersh family, Frederick James and Mary Jane and subscriptions for the building came from Robert Henry Mellersh, John Eastwood, George Pinchard, Arthur and Sydney Gladstone, Miss Bonham-Carter, Col. Shakerley and the Rev. R. Phillips. The treasurer was B. Franklin Adams and the secretary Reginald Mellersh.

The building of the Institute started in 1902 and was completed at the beginning of 1903. No mention is made in the records of the architect or builder but whoever they were they designed and erected a worthy building. The floor is suspended and the original boards lasted till 1987; below the floor is dry and quite spacious. The walls probably of bricks from the old Roundals Brickworks have a dampproof course of thin slates, still very effective. The walls of stone and brick go up to a considerable height and the carpentry in the roof is remarkable — great kingposts with wrought iron strapping, enormous cross beams and thick purlins all round the roof. Small vented windows at each end of the building allow air to circulate. The main building was some 10 feet shorter than at present. The present kitchen was the library and reading room, the front part of the ladies toilet a committee room with a door by the hand dryer to the outside yard leading to an outside bucket lavatory and a coal and lamp store (now part of the gents). Heating was by four coal fires — two large ones in the main hall and one each in the library and committee room. The original lighting was by oil lamp and the support for the outside light is still there.

From its inception the Institute’s function was to provide for the educational, recreational and leisure pursuits of the men of Hambledon and neighbourhood – it took 20 years before the ladies were welcomed! 

The people who gave the money and the land.— no grants then — formed the Trustees, meeting once or twice a year and the day-to-day running was left to the Executive Committee formed from the paying members.

Part 2

Front the start Hambledon Institute as it was known, had a very comprehensive set of rules.
Some examples:

• Members had to be elected and pay a monthly subscription (9d) in advance and then seven shillings and sixpence for a year.
• Male friends could be introduced on payment of 1d
• Lads between 14 and 16 may be admitted on payment of sixpence.
• The Institute was open each evening from 6.30 to 10.00pm.
• No intoxicating drinks, gambling or bad language (fine ld for each such offence).
• No sitting on tables (fine 1d).
• No religious or political classes.

Periodicals and books were provided in the library (now kitchen), certain games were played in the main hall and a piano was given. A billiards table was purchased for £16 in 1911 but it must have been a small one for members requested a full size one and an extension to the hall to house it in 1915. At that date, 1916, a note in the minutes book reads “Quite impossible to carry out any work during the war!” It is assumed that most of the members were serving. Those minutes were signed in 1919! By the beginning of the war the bare walls had been match-boarded to a height of four foot six inches and a lamp for the outside front had been purchased.

Fencing had been put all round the hall with a picket fence and gate across the front. Barbed wire was later run along the top of the fence to prevent children from clambering on it and causing damage. In 1921 the building was at last extended at the stage end by about 12 feet and a full size billiard table installed. Further excitement must have been caused by the offer from Mrs Watney of Mervil Hill (St Dominic’s School) to install electric lighting. This was refused at first, very experimental, but accepted after she guaranteed its effectiveness. A line came via the coach house at the bottom of the drive — electricity supply was withdrawn in 1929 for some unspecified reason and the hall went back to oil lamps till Aldershot Electric Company installed it in 1933.

Wireless was installed in 1925 and the hall also became a branch of the Surrey County Library. Ladies used the hall by special bookings though there is no mention in the minutes of them using the evening facilities as members. In 1917 Mrs Eric Parker invited a Mrs Watt, one of the original Canadian founders of the Women’s Institute, to give a talk and so started the Hambledon W.I. By 1923 their membership totalled 177 and they helped to bring the hail into the 20th century by requesting adequate toilets, a kitchen and better use of side rooms. The Hall Committee agreed but said no funds were available at the moment.

Part 3

Although the W.I. had been instrumental in obtaining improvements to the hall Surrey County Council also insisted on a number of safety items to be rectified — a light for the outside lavatory for instance. g Panelling around the main hall had been in place for a number of years but above was just a brick finish. Cementing and plaster with a coloured distemper was completed in the early 30’s. Some improvements to the toilets were carried out by Messrs Vickery and Gill in 1936 (the present arrangement came in 1959)

A rule change in 1938 stated that “The Institute shall be available for political parties for not more than three meetings in each year, for each party, but shall not be available at the time of an election”!! It took three years of argument to get the amendment.

The immediate pre-war period saw a big change in that the Institute gradually lost membership, especially during the winters and many more lettings came about. Lectures were given on Air Raid Precautions and in 1940 the Institute was virtually commandeered by the Surrey Education Department to house evacuee school children — 24 pupils from Swaffield Road Boy’s School, Wandsworth, together with 2 teachers for five days a week. The number of children had risen to 33 by 1941. This led to some concern by the W.I. whose monthly meetings started at 2pm and therefore clashed with afternoon school! It was resolved by using the partition that then existed, till school finished. In 1941 the hall was designated a Refugee Centre if required. Entertainment and social gathering were held in the evening — especially fund raising for the forces such as ‘Salute the Soldier Week’ and the W.I. Tie Making’ sales. In 1944 the Surrey Education Committee gave up using the hall for the education of evacuees. Other regular users were the Parish Council, the West Surrey Benefit Society, the Institute Slate Club, the Women’s Institute, the Youth Club, the Girl Guides and Cub Scouts. The trustees of the Institute were nearly all long service and featured the most well known and probably wealthiest members of the village hierarchy.

The Mellersh family were foremost with Mr. R.E. Mellersh, secretary or treasurer from the start of the Institute till his resignation in 1945, but the Parkers, Dowsons, Col. Robertson and all the Rectors of Hambledon Church, especially Canon Seymour, played important parts in establishing and maintaining our village hall. 1946 saw the beginning of fundamental change and the Institute was renamed Hambledon Village Hall

The post-war period saw many changes in organisation, use and building. The trustees gave over the running of the hall to a much more plebeian committee, rules were much changed and there was no membership. In 1947 Brodie Hoare was elected Secretary and Cmdr. MacRae, Treasurer. Fanny Jeffrey was on the committee with George Denyer and Alf Goad, then Ted Peer and Percy Winson were also elected.

Ted Peer and Reg Vickery started the Whist Drives (7.30 to 9.50pm — to allow Hyde Stile people to catch the last bus to Godalming!) The billiard table and certain furniture was sold, the fireplaces taken out. Kingshott put in electric heating. The external fence was removed and earth dug out to create a car park.

Part 4 – 1950’s –

Mr and Mrs Edwards were caretakers. Charles Vacher ran the newly formed Youth Club and there was a Hambledon Dramatic Society. In the fifties problems arose with the hall finances — very few functions were taking place. This led to a confrontation between the chairman and the committee over alcohol. The Rector, Alan Bortlwick, (the Chair for years had been with rectors) was against the granting of licences for beers at functions, the committee thought that more use would be made of the hall if alcohol could be sold. The Secretary, Cmdr. Kenneth MacRae threatened to resign and the Rector did resign!

The possibility of alcohol did not revive the hall and by 1957 it had hardly any lettings and was very low on funds. The question arose as to whether it was needed at all and a Village Meeting was called for November 12th and surprisingly to the committee 70 people attended. Many suggestions for use and finance were advanced and 29 of the 70 volunteered to serve on any sub-committees that might be formed. The meeting could well have been acrimonious as at the next meeting all the committee members resigned. Another public meeting was called for December 10th 1957 and 40 people attended, a new committee was formed — Cecil Chapman became chairman. New people, new rules but the hall was looking rather old. The W.I., Cricket and Football Clubs were all asked to nominate representatives.

The newly formed Social Committee particularly John Tanner and Nelson (who owned the shop) ran numerous events and provided quite a lot of money for the hall. Many plans and meetings ‘dispelled the Village Hall gloom’ as the Surrey Advertiser aptly put it.

It is important to realise that the hall was in great need at the end of the fifties. The roof and valleys, gutters and outer walls required urgent repair. The interior walls had not then been plastered but the whole hall needed decorating. The floor of disintegrating boards still needed a monthly scrub, chairs needed replacing as well as new curtains for windows and stage. Some form of modern heating was also required. It was estimated that all this would cost £256! In those days the hall’s revenue income and outgoing balanced at around £35 per annum.
After what seems an enormous amount of talking, estimate making and grant applications improvements really took place. Money had been forthcoming from the Social Committee (in particular), the S.C.C. Education Committee, Hambledon Rural District Council and the Carnagie U.K. Trust. The roof was repaired, the walls were plastered, redecoration both inside and outside took place with much voluntary help from mentors. New stage and hall curtains were provided.

Phillip Mabley drew up plans and supervised the provision of new toilet facilities (as exist at the moment) and the provision of a cesspool. New chairs and card tables were bought second hand lights for the main hall, a new stage was installed and finally new heating, gas, was installed.

Mr Peter Harvey of the Round House, just past Phillips Garage was the hall secretary during theses years and was something of a wit. The hall minutes are often quite humorous, for minutes. After a lengthy discussion on the changes to be made for heating the following paragraph occurs. The Chairman (Cecil Chapman) explained the hope that the Church would find the hall a comfortable place in which to meet and then said, “The proof of the pudding is in the heating ” (Cries of `Oh ) It was decided without recourse to the Chairman’s casting vote, that this jest was a memorable one and should be recorded in the minutes for the enjoyment of posterity.

1960’s –

The mid-sixties saw more fundamental changes particularly in the running of the hall. A new Trust Deed was formulated and the Trustees and Standing Committee merged. A new constitution gave detailed aims and obligations for the hall, now a registered charity. The Social Committee, so much a force for fund raising over ten years, had seen its objectives achieved and was disbanded. The membership scheme was discontinued but was replaced by covenants. Minor matters in the early sixties saw the Surrey C.C. Library service cease- replaced by the Travelling Library. Mrs Florrie Hammond was the unpaid caretaker and cleaner for quite a few years. The present piano given by Mrs Harry Duke of Glebe House and a successful new Youth Club with Michael Atkins organising table tennis and a leader called… Mic Coleman.

The improvements made in the previous four years saw the Hall win the Best Kept Village Hall plaque in 1964. In 1965 a new charitable trust deed was completed. In 1967 a public meeting called to discuss the restarting of the Youth Club (defunct for several years) was very poorly attended and it was decided that there were not enough young people in the parish to warrant such a club. A pointer, surely, to the predominant age group in the village at that time. In 1969 a Girl Guide company was formed with Sylvia Coleman as leader; but this group only lasted a few years before it was disbanded due to the lack of girls living in Hambledon. The Hall has had a continuity of committee members to be envied. Peter Harvey served for 17 years as Secretary; Cecil Chapman was Chairman for 20 years and then spent five more on the committee.

Other long-serving members presently living in the village include Anne Disney, Mary Parker, Sally Falk and particularly Ray Williams with over 25 years service. And Flo Hammond got more praise in the minutes, for years and years of voluntary cleaning and caretaking, than anyone else. Even to-day we have several members with over 15 years service: Sue May, Pauline Underwood, Ron Vickery , Mic Coleman and our present caretaker, Carol Davis.

1970’s & 1980’s

There is little of note in the minutes of the 1970s, though the floors of both the kitchen and the toilets rotted through and were replaced with concrete and a servery was cut through from the kitchen to the main hall. The good looks and use of the Hall declined in the 1980s and again closure was spoken about. In fact the Parish Council formally complained about its state.

In 1987 a start was made on a series of works that are evident to-day. An extension was built over the yard between the kitchen and toilets, a new store was added at the back, a maple strip floor was laid, complete rewiring and redecoration took place, and new chairs and tables were obtained. A bequest from General Martin was used to buy a portable stage and the old one was removed, making the Hall seem much larger. New external lanterns were made and a Hambledon Village Hall sign fixed to the outer wall.

Over £35,000 was required for these improvements, with Surrey County Council and Waverley Borough Council each provideing £11,000. Funds had been building up prior to 1987 but a major fund-raising effort was still required. Donations were requested and about 100 individuals made contributions. A Grand Summer Draw raised £450; the Vickerys ran a Tramps Ball (£80), Mesdames Miller and Morris a Halloween Party (£100) and the Wednesday Afternoon Group a sale (£100). Other fund raisers included the Davis’s 60s party, George Pitt’s Beaujolais Nouveau evening, the first Hambledon village summer fete and the first Christmas sale.

Mary Caroe donated proceedings from the Vann Concert and Elizabeth Waring (Maclay) sold her Christmas trees. Television South donated £2,000 but the committee still had to commit itself to a £4,000 loan from the Village Halls Association.

When all was done a well-attended opening was officially celebrated with Karen Vickery cutting the ribbon in July 1989. Fund raising was still uppermost in committee activities and the first fete was organised in 1988. Since then the fete has been held every other year. In 1990, when the theme was Alice in Wonderland a surprise visitor was Brent Dodgson, great grandson of Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carol). He presented a copy of ‘Alice in Wonderland to the winner of the Caucus (or egg and spoon) race — a child from Tigbourne Court. Charmaine Hammond made a lovely Alice.

Some months after the extended and renovated hall had been re-opened we acquired a spring floor which many people thought was very efficient, especially for dancing. We knew, however, that it had not been planned as such. Messrs Coleman and Vickery did their pot-holing act and discovered that the floor had not only pulled up joists to which it was fastened but that the joists had pulled up the large wooden plates along the ‘sleeper’ walls to which they had been fastened. Humberstones, the flooring firm gave the reason as the difference in dampness between the topside and the bottom side of the maple flooring! They cut a strip out down the middle to reduce the tension and slowly the floor flattened out again. Rather disappointing for the dancers but the indoor bowls played rather better.

Sally Parker started her aerobics classes in 1989 and is still going strong and the Wey Valley Lacemakers started a few years before that and still hold their monthly workshop. Tuesday Coffee Mornings came into being in 1991 with some twenty fairly regular attendees and the S.C.C. Library box came some five years later. Gifts received for the hall about this time included framed lace work from the Wey Valley Lacemakers, a 1916 plan of Hambledon from the executors of Judith Ledeboer, a tapestry made mostly by Muriel Freemantle and completed by Faith Atkins and a painting of the hall by Elizabeth Woodhouse, Ruth Steele’s daughter. A Sutton Palmer painting of a view from Hambledon Common also hangs in the committee room. A last link with the original financial benefactors of the hall was severed in 1994 when the Charity Commissioners allowed the Gladstone & Mellersh funds to be wound up (raising £692) and used for general hall expenses.

The car park was extended to its present size in 1995 and in 1997 the puddles outside the hall were at last cured by tarmac being put down and a slight gully run between the old bricks and the new tarmac. The old floor once under the stage at the far end of the Hall was removed by the old firm of Coleman and Vickery who also reset and renewed all the joists and plates. Humberstones then laid a maple strip floor to match the rest. All window curtains were renewed. In all the nearly 100 years of Minutes regarding the Hall no mention is ever made of any major accident to either the Hall or to an individual — that is until 2000 when Ion Campbell, the then Chairman, fell from a ladder whilst clearing the roof gutters and was badly injured. John Watson took over from Ion and discovered that, in order to operate at all, Village Halls would need to be brought up to strict Health, Safety and Environmental standards by 2004. A better kitchen and much better toilets were necessary as were facilities for disabled users.

Money has to be raised and once again the Hall Committee and others are organizing fund raising events. As a conclusion to nearly 100 years of ‘notes from the minutes’ it is worth looking forward and stating that the Village Hall is still one of the centres of the Community and is likely to be so; but it is also to be remembered that the Hall is for the use of the village and it is also the responsibility of the villagers, through the Management Committee — your support is always required.

Researched and written by Mic Coleman 2002

Hambledon Village Hall – the 21^ST century

By 2000 strict health, safety and environmental standards had been introduced which necessitated yet more up-grades to the Village Hall.  Major refurbishments were carried out to the toilets, the kitchen and the entrance, where the doorway had to be widened and a ramp installed to allow wheel chair access.  Costs were met by grants and a wide range of fund-raising activities, organised throughout 2002 to celebrate the Hall’s centenary and which included a musical evening hosted by Ion and Muriel Campbell in the garden at Feathercombe.

With the introduction of new licensing regulations, a premises licence was obtained in 2007; but hirers of the Hall who wished to serve alcohol remained responsible for obtaining their own liquor licences.   

Income from lettings had always fluctuated and the bottom line is maximum footfall.  The Hall has to remain a competitive and attractive venue – for commercial groups or individuals to hire for their activities, including private parties;, and for villagers who would otherwise go further afield for their entertainment. 

Remaining competitive means constant attention to up-grades.  Cue to the Management Committee whose members have recently come up with some brand new and innovative ideas.

The Hall signed up to Easyfundraising whereby online shoppers could collect free donations to the Hall from over 3,000 subscribing retailers. In 2018 fifty new chairs were sponsored by villagers; a grant from the Hambledon Community Foundation covered the cost of new stage curtains; and these and a raft of other improvements, including repainting of the hall inside and out, new storage heaters and loft insulation, were celebrated at a tea party hosted by the Management Committee in December of that year to thank villagers for their input.

Other than a period of closure due to Covid-19, the hall has become busier and busier with bookings for both regular groups and private events and also with an increase in the variety and frequency of our own events which bring the village together and raise funds to continue with upkeep and improvements. Generous regular donations from the Parish Council and the Hambledon Festival Committee also contribute to these funds.

In 2021, thanks to the Local Authority Discretionary Grants COVID scheme, the LADD grant, a grant from the Hambledon Community Fund and very generous donations form villagers, we were able to replace all of the windows with double-glazed windows which have considerably helped with heating the hall. 

With a cinema system installed, the hall now hosts regular cinema nights and theatrical productions as well as quizzes, fashion shows, our annual professional art fair, musical evenings, table tennis and more. As always, it is at the centre of village life hosting the annual Parish Assembly, the Heritage Society AGM and lecture and the annual Village Show.

Over a hundred and twenty years since the opening of the hall, it continues to serve the local community and remains true to its original intentions.