Beech Village Hall & Recreation Ground

Social Report – Summer 2009

Comedian Clive Greenaway returned to Beech in April, following the success of his ‘Tommy Cooper Remembered’ show last year. This time round he entertained an evening audience with hilarious anecdotes from his years as a driving instructor, initially in the Army and then on civvy street.

May was a busy month in the village. The first Bank Holiday weekend saw the annual Beech Village Walk organised by Charles Cockburn. Good weather ensured that all those who participated enjoyed this opportunity to explore some of the less well-known footpaths around the village at the height of the bluebell season, while seeking answers to the usual range of tricky questions along the route.

Then, following a week of heavy rain, the skies cleared against all the odds on Saturday 16 May for the second Beech Big Band Picnic. The 17-piece Farnham Amateur Big Band and guest singer Geoff Kaye entertained around 90 people with a programme of classic Big Band numbers. Although it was very cold by 9pm, the audience thoroughly enjoyed itself – and the high-kicking final number (New York, New York) helped warm everyone up for their journey home! Pictures.

Annual extravaganza

June, of course, is traditionally time for the Village Fete, and this year was no exception. Events were opened by musicians from Amery Hill School and as the sun broke through, villagers and their friends found plenty of opportunities for both browsing and spending, with a wide range of sideshows and craft stalls. The Famous Beech Dog Show attracted a good audience – although sadly not as many entrants as in previous years – and was followed by an energetic set of children’s games and races before the adults took over the arena for a highly competitive inter-Beech tug of war, eventually won by the Snode Hill team. Later the same day, villagers piled their plates high at the annual Hog Roast, accompanied by music from the 7-piece Celebrations Band. The band, which shares several members with the Farnham Big Band, perfectly judged their audience, playing a wide range of music from the 1960s onwards, and soon had people up and dancing. Many thanks to the hard work of everyone involved in organising both events – and if they have inspired you to offer to lend a hand in future, please do let the Village Hall Committee know! Pictures of the Fete and Hog Roast.

The June Social evening went ahead as planned – with a great turnout thanks to Cheryl Thomas’ Sri Lankan curry – despite large holes in the wall between the old and new halls serving as a constant reminder that we were eating in a building site! However, the decision was taken to cancel the proposed School Disco on 18 July to allow the work to continue as fast as possible (see the Chairman’s report for the latest news). July’s Social evening (a barbecue) sadly also had to be cancelled due to the uncertain weather conditions.

Don’t forget…

 If you are willing to help with food preparation for village events (even just once a year) or if you know any local teenagers or students keen to earn extra cash through occasional washing up duties, the Village Hall Committee wants to hear from you!