This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in April 2022
With the Village Hall Committee in the throes of a major fund-raising initiative to extend and improve the hall, we look back on the fundamentally pivotal role the hall has played in our village’s past history.
The first excerpt is from a booklet called “Thursley Today” compiled by the Thursley Women’s Institute to commemorate their Jubilee year, 1965.
“When the Surrey Education Committee finally decided to close down the Village School in 1957, despite opposition by the Parish Council and local inhabitants, the Parish Council at once began to consider the possibilities of converting the school buildings into a new Village Hall.
When approached, the County Council informed the Parish Council that a decision had already been reached to convert the school into a Camp House for youth purposes. News of the impending relevant report by the Education Committee to the Council reached the village and, just in time, strong letters of protest were sent to the press, the press took up the fight and eventually, despite a lot of toing and froing, a public enquiry was held on 29th November 1960 in the old school building.
It is doubtful whether so many people had ever before assembled in a building in Thursley. Mr Michael Jupe and Mr Duncan Scott represented the village. When they made points in the villages’ favour, there was great applause; when the County made points in the County’s favour, there were boos. The atmosphere was electric.
Although the Council’s application for a Camp House was upheld, they were so impressed by the never-say-die spirit of the village that they reopened discussions with them in July 1961, with the result that, later that year, they agreed in principle to sell the school building to the village.
The old Village Hall (formally to the left of the pub) and the Village Institute (now Prospect Cottage) were sold and the first Village Hall Fund was set up. Detailed plans were then embarked upon and the work to the caretaker’s flat, billiard room, a new entrance and car park were formed and completed in 1964. Since then, the work has been slow but steady; the men’s and ladies’ lavatories have been more or less completed, a new floor laid to the hall, the hall redecorated, the building rewired, heating installed and a large amount of maintenance work undertaken. The Women’s Institute has played their part in selecting and making new curtains for the hall, billiard room and small committee room. There is still a fair amount of work to do, but at long last, the end appears in sight”.
This account was attributed to Mr Duncan Scott of The Corner House.
That’s how our Village Hall evolved, but what of its use and form since 1964? From a 1987 newsletter, Surrey Scene, published by Surrey Voluntary Service Council, the following is a summary of an article entitled “Sweat and Toil in Thursley”.
“Tucked away, just out of earshot of the humming A3, on the way to Hindhead, is Thursley. A small village, with a population of 580, it represents one of Surrey’s many picturesque delights. It has a fine church, a pub, a large cricket pitch and recreation area, many delightful houses, a post office and in pride of place in the centre of it all, stands the Village Hall, which this year won the Best Kept Village Competition, Village Halls section.
The hall blends in easily into the village scene, partly because age (circa 1850) has mellowed the grey stone of which it is built, and partly because it was until 1957, a Church of England primary school. So, the hall looks like a school and looks as if it belongs in the village.
Pursuing the programme of works instigated by the Village Hall Committee two years ago, kitchen facilities have been upgraded, with the installation of new units. It has been possible to extend car parking facilities with the help of a generous donation from a villager and the lawn at the rear provides a pleasant as well as a useful amenity. In the Hall’s secretary’s own words “It has taken a great deal of sweat and toil to reach this stage – it hasn’t been easy!
The village is fortunate to have a beautiful building, set in lovely grounds, at its disposal, but who is it that uses the hall? Well, it would seem, the world and his wife. When I dropped by recently, a pack of immaculately turned-out Brownies were camping in the Hall for a week. During term time a private nursery school operates in the Hall – it started three years ago and seems extremely popular. Then, of course, there are regular meetings and AGMs of the Horticultural Society, the Thursley Club (for over 60’s), the Fellowship (a social club for all age groups), the Parish Council, the Village Hall Committee and the Parochial Church Council. There are also such occasions as the Harvest Supper, the Christmas Fair and private parties.
No one would suggest Thursley Village Hall is perfect – all halls are unique with many and varying problems but the care and good housekeeping shown by the Management Committee towards the hall has been exemplary in 1987 and well deserving, in the opinion of the judges, of this Village Halls prize”.
As most of us have seen from the entrance hall today, this was not the only year that this great honour was bestowed upon the Hall. There have been many! And so, the baton has been passed down to this generation’s stewardship of our much-loved hall. This is why we all should get involved. Donations, time, fund raising - even if it’s just completing the questionnaire sent out recently – any help would be greatly appreciated and is essential to keep the Hall evolving in order to meet our needs. It is the heart of our village and has been for the past 172 years!
For ways in which you can help, please go to www.thursleyvillagehall.co.uk email thursleyvillagehall@btconnect.com or speak to Clea Beechey, Village Hall Chairman, whose details are in the front of this magazine.
The Trust Deed below is dated 1st August 1963