CHURCH MINSHULL VILLAGE HALL

The first meeting of the Village Hall Committee was held in the School on May 21st 1946 at 7.30pm.

The Committee was – Mr E.N.Cookson (Chairman), Mr Stan Farrall (Treasurer), Miss Potts (Secretary), Miss Upton, Mr T. Parton, Mr J Owen, (Parish Council representative), Mr F Birchall (Parochial Church Council Rep.) and Miss H Greenwood (Young Peoples Club Rep.)

The proceeds of the first Whist Drive (admission 2/6d) were £20-18-0d, including a donation of £5 from the Children of Church Minshull School, £1 from Miss Brereton and 10/- from an anonymous donor.

The Parish Council called a public meeting on May 14th 1947 and the Vicar, Mrs E.N.Cookson and Mr A Birchall were nominated as Trustees.  An account in the name of “The Village Hall Fund” was opened at the Post Office.  By May 16th 1950 the balance was £538-4-2d.

A public meeting was held on November 30th 1959 in the School, the minutes reveal that it was a well attended meeting in fact it was the best meeting that has taken place!  The Chairman Mr E.N.Cookson, reported that the Village Hall Fund balance was £865-1-11d and the Young Peoples Club had £152-19-10d.  The meeting decided to ask the Rural Community Council if any grants were available and to approach the rural District Council to help identify a site.

On May 31st 1960 the Committee resolved to “accept the offer of the Brewery to sell land for the Hall for £375”.   On the 10th May 1961 a 50% grant from the Ministry of Education for the land purchase was accepted and the Post Office account was transferred to the District Bank Ltd, Nantwich.  On 7th February 1962, it was agreed that all arrangements for building the Hall be left in the hands of the Revd. Peter Gains, Messrs E.N.Cookson and T.S.Parton.

The site conveyance was completed on 8th August 1962 and an ex-army hut was purchased and erected largely by volunteers.  The opening event was a Whist Drive on 4th September 1963, admission 3/-.  Hiring Charges were set at £3 for Parish Residents and £5 for others.  Hire of Kitchen only for meetings was 10/-.

On February 1964, a £300 overdraft was requested, the balances in October 1964 were £15-17-2d (debt) and in January 1965 £22-15-0d (debt). By April 1967, the debit balance had risen to £236-15-1d and Villagers were invited to help line the hall by buying panels of hardboard at £1 each (or 10/- per half).

These names of a volunteer working party were found hidden behind a panel dated 20th May 1964 –

R.Farrall, D.H.MacDonald, Richard Farrall, R.G.Burrow, M.MacDonald, James Morris,

James Dennel, (Ringo) Bate, W.Smith, C.S.Brereton, A.Everall, M.Skitt, H.Owen, R.H.Dover, I.Hulme, R.Morris, R.G.L.Hulme, D.M.Hough, S.Farrall, Gillian Moody, Mr. E.N.Cookson

In April 1972 (with a credit balance of £67-19s) the committee agreed to the redevelopment proposals proposed by The County Council prompted by the G.P.O’s need to close their brick telephone exchange (now used as a store). A a new public highway (now Muslin Row)was built  to provide access to a new telephone  exchange and a new access to the Village Hall car park.  Despite new chemical toilets being installed in September 1972, the W.I felt flush toilets, better heating and more tables and chairs should be available.

Accounts for the year ending 31st January 1974 showed income of £64.75p and expenditure of £86.69p, finishing the year with a credit balance of £91.79p.  Hiring charges were increased to -parishioners £5 others £7.  The Youth Club closed down early in 1974 and handed its assets of £89.10p to the hall.

1975  saw many fundraising events and miscellaneous improvements being carried out by volunteers, including patching to cure the leaking roof and then complete re-felting in 1980, plus  better heating and the installation of flush toilets and a septic tank.  The kitchen was lined and hatches formed in the wall.  The Village School closed in 1982 and the Hall Committee costed a proposal to sell the hall site for housing and buy the School.  The County Council in November 1985 refused to sell the school below market value and thus the idea could not be pursued.  The balance at 27th November 1987 was £156cr.  Formal thanks were recorded to Stan Farrall who resigned in 1987 after 40yrs as Treasurer etc.

Start of rot became evident in 1993 as well as the deterioration of some electric wires insulation.

In 94/95 the roof was re-felted and some timbers replaced.  In 1996 the kitchen was re-furnished at a cost of £7230.

In 1997/8 Borough Council Apprentices carried out a refurbishment project including erecting guttering around the hall and work to the brick store and the front wall and the construction of a pathway in front of the brick store to the main road.

The major improvements finished in 2003 were preceded by 3 years of activity applying for grants, designs and redesigns, inviting and rejecting tenders until finally R & A Builders Ltd started work on the brick toilet block in February 2003.  Other specialists contracts were let for new wiring and to treat hall timbers against insects and rot. Capital grants totalling £57,000 were received from the Parish Council, Wren Ltd, Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council, The Countryside Agency, The Lottery Awards for All and the Carnegie Trust.  The final expenditure was £63,507 and the building work was substantially finished on 24th October 2003.  On October 8th 2004, a stage, stage curtains and stage lighting was finished following another Lottery Grant of £4774.02.

A gully and drain was installed in the car park in January 2005. Another Lottery Grant for £5000 in May 2005 enabled 104 new chairs to be purchased. 12 “bridge tables” were bought grant assisted by Church Minshull Parish Council. Following an attempted break-in, an intruder alarm system was fitted.  A hot water boiler was installed, courtesy of a grant from C.N.B.C as was overhead heating and a Table Tennis table. A digital projector was granted by the Cheshire Community Council.

During the period  2004 to 2007, the hall was used more than at any time since it was built.  This increase in  usage was accompanied by increased demands for higher standards, big increases in the costs of maintaining the hall and contents, increased mandatory inspections and controls to be met and a slow but continued reduction in the amount of voluntary help that built and has maintained this hall since 1946.