I hope you all had a very happy Easter and a special warm welcome to the new arrivals in the village.
Phase I of the hall’s modernisation is nearly complete. Most of the work left to do is external. Over the next few months it is hoped that car parking bays will be marked out and already some tarmacing has taken place. A disabled parking bay will be in place next to the main entrance and nearly all the external lighting has been connected. The acoustics of the main hall are in the process of being investigated. Although this is an issue for some it has not been a problem for the majority of the users of the facility. When funds permit it we hope to make improvements.
Work on Phase II of the hall’s updating will commence shortly. The main room, presently being used as a storage facility, will become a meeting/games room. The old ladies toilet will be upgraded and become a unisex toilet with a small kitchenette. The old gents loo will become a storage room and the back store room will house the larger items with a new external access door. Ground levels around this area are to be lowered to stop the damp getting into the building and when completed we will then look at the landscaping of the whole complex.
The increased booking levels of the new Beech Village Hall are helping to fund these latest improvements, but in so doing have brought along with them a problem. We are not in a position to be able to employ a full-time caretaker and because the hall is booked nearly every day of the week it has to be checked regularly to ensure that our high standards are maintained. Currently this falls on the members of the Village Hall Committee. We would dearly like a rota of volunteers who would check each morning that all is OK and therefore if any of you feel that you could give us some of your time please let me know via the email address at the end of this report.
As mentioned in the last issue of the Newsletter, some of you suggested that we made enquiries concerning the possible purchase of the telephone box that is due for removal from Wellhouse Road. This we did and it is now owned by Beech Village Hall. What we will do with it is still not defined and we are aware that its removal from its present site may be difficult as it may collapse!!!
However, we would welcome any ideas that you may have as to its future. Please note that the Beech Village Walk takes place on Sunday May 2, commencing at 2:00pm and the Annual Fete and Hog Roast is scheduled for Saturday June 19. Finally, a great thank you to you all for your support of Beech Village Hall and for turning out in your numbers for the official opening by Alan Titchmarsh. We desperately need volunteers to join our sub-committees with fresh ideas for our social calendar – so e-mail me, please.