Issue Number 502 October 2019
Village Hall News It was with sadness that we learnt of the passing of Tom Mansbridge last month. Tom had been a great friend and supporter of the Village Hall for many years. Much of this time was as a committee member and as Treasurer for both the old and new Hall. The Trustees’ thoughts and condolences go out to Tom’s family at this sad time.
Judging by the huge turnout for the Hall’s 20th Birthday Tea Party last month (8th September), most of you won’t need telling how successful it was. A tally of returned tickets would indicate that 126 people attended (that’s a third of the village!) including Peter Matthews, architect of the Hall, and Richard Hooper, the first committee chair for the new Hall. Also present were the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Cllr Diane Taylor and husband Andy Tayler, along with Lord Lymington representing the Portsmouth family who 20 years ago so kindly donated the land on which the Hall now stands.
Entry was by ticket, with half the proceeds being returned to the lucky attendee by a ticket draw and the other half to a charity, also to be decided by a draw from a hat. Refreshment in the form of sandwiches, savouries and cakes were provided by a host of ladies who receive the Trustees’ heartfelt thanks, and a cake to celebrate the occasion displaying a wonderful illustration by Darren Capehorn who is also thanked by the Trustees.
The afternoon was favoured by late summer sun allowing us to make full use of the hall and grounds, eating those sandwiches, savouries and cakes and generally catching up with old and making new friends. Midway through the afternoon Greg reminded us how different the old and new Halls were physically but how little had changed in terms of the great community spirit and what is available at the hall. He asked the Mayor, Cllr Diane Taylor, to cut our birthday cake and Lord Lymington and his 2-year-old daughter, Stella, to pull the winning ticket for the ticket prize draw and for the choice of charity. The winner of the prize draw, Rob Sergeant, generously asked that his prize also go to charity and a second dip into the “charity hat” meant that the beneficiaries of the £144 raised from ticket sales was the Stroke Association and Dementia UK, to the tune of £90 each once the Gift Aid was added in.