February 2024
North Cerney Memorial Village Hall
The two January social events, coffee morning and skittles evening were well attended and jolly. The skittles is a wonderful opportunity for families to have an evening out. There is no entrance fee and inexpensive sausage baps and drinks are available. The regular children love joining in the killer tournament, helping "stick up" and playing table football. So please come along to the next skittles evening. All ages welcome. Village Hall Diary of Events
• Whist Drive (Saturday 28 January, 18:00) Don't be put off if you've never played whist or your game is rusty. All abilities welcome. The bar will be open! • Coffee Morning (Tuesday 6 February, 10:30) Only £2.50 for cafetière coffee, pastry, warmth and company.
• Murder Mystery (Saturday 24 February) Doors open at 7pm and the action starts promptly at 7.30pm. Supper will be served at 8.15pm A good night out for only £20 /ticket! • Easter Family Bingo (Sunday 3 March) Free entrance. Bar opens 19:00. Eyes down 19:30!
• Village Hall AGM This will take place on Monday 25 March at 19:00.
North Cerney Scamper (Saturday 18 May) It's the New Year and time to plan ahead. This is the big Village Hall/school event for 2024 so don't hang about and SIGN UP!! Although not until May the organisers are working hard. If you wish to volunteer as a marshal please email: jessicacatherinejames@gmail.com The event is being supported by “Running Somewhere Else”, the Cirencester running club, who have already been out to walk the course and are kindly loaning race day equipment. Sam Wilkinson who did the original run in 1978 said that they stopped for a pint half way round. Sam says he would not recommend this!
Family Wedding
I would like to share my personal experience of running an event in the village hall in late December. The heating worked well and the hall felt cosy. With the new soft wall lighting and attractive outdoor lamp, I found it easy to create a party atmosphere. The Glitter ball was an instant success with the dancing children as was the coloured stage lights. The kitchen although dated “style wise” was very clean and easy to use. The new cooker was excellent and there was ample cutlery and crockery and hot water. As it was cold the outdoor patio area was not used but had it been summer time it would have added another versatile space for a BBQ or just to spill outside. This was an old school low budget wedding but fantastic fun and very easy to organise. So 6 do consider using the village hall for your family celebrations. The car park opposite was also very convenient. Cathy Martin
January 2024
North Cerney Memorial Village Hall News
• Dance Evening The improvements to the village hall made organising this event remarkably easy. The band rocked, the bar was busy and it was a fun sociable evening. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it happen.
• Coffee Morning The monthly coffee morning is gaining traction. It's a very friendly atmosphere. Pastries and coffee for £2.50. Do come! • Christmas Cheer On a miserable wet December evening the village hall welcomed the Churn Valley Choir who were a complete joy. As promised it was an evening of carols and Christmas music made even merrier by mulled wine and warm mince pies. Thank you to all who sang and helped. Donations were made to the Yellow Bus charity
2024 Looking to the New Year!
• February 24th 7.30pm (Lights, Camera, MURDER!) When the Christmas fun has faded there will be thrills in the village hall. The Churn Valley Players are busy rehearsing for a spine chilling murder mystery event. This is your chance to sit back, enjoy the drama and try to figure out 'who dunnit'. Encourage your friends to come along and join in the fun. The ticket includes a home cooked 2 course meal. Book early as numbers will be limited! Tickets £20.00; Phone:07886 939587/ 077303 94249.
• Saturday May 18th (“The Scamper”) We are excited to announce the North Cerney fun trail /run to be called "The Scamper". It is nearly 50 years since the last NC run and we hope that at least one resident will repeat the heroic feat of half a century ago. Jessica James has initiated and is organising this fantastic event which will raise funds for both the school and the village hall. Booking is now open!! Information is on the poster and the Village Hall website. There will a maximum of 200 runners so make sure you take part in what will be a huge village event.
Village Hall Diary of Events
• January 2nd , Coffee Morning 10.30am
• Saturday January 20th , Skittles Evening 6pm
• Sunday January 28th , Whist Drive 6pm
• Tuesday February 6th , Coffee Morning 10.30am
• February 24th , Murder Mystery and Supper Evening 7.30pm
• Saturday May 18th North Cerney Scamper 10am
• Vintage Map of North Cerney Orders are being taken for a print run thanks to Nick DeCarle. The map is fascinating and details the historic field boundaries and ancient names. If you want to know where the likes of Lark Slad, Crampon Piece and Moggs barn are then you need this map. Only £5 (in aid of NC primary school) Contact Cathy Martin (07748914879).
• Village Hall Refurbishment A new drinks cooler has been purchased for the bar and is ready to be installed and finally a new much improved secure external door is being fitted from the bar to the patio. This will be a stable door design to enable drinks to be served to the patio for outdoor summer events. This has been a major expenditure 6 and completes the bar upgrade. The committee is very grateful to Daryl Hamlet and Fran Robbins for all the dedication they have put into upgrading the bar.
The ambitious programme of hall upgrades has made this a very expensive year. The committee has worked hard to put on a programme of events both social and fund - raising focussed to finance the work. We have applied for grants and been supported by the Parish Council and our County Councillor. The hall is a crucial resource to North Cerney, the local villages and the school. We would ask the whole community to support these efforts by coming to events and offering any help or skills you might have. If suitable raffle prizes come your way or your place of work is being refurbished please keep the needs of the hall in mind. Any donations are of course very much appreciated. Cathy Martin
Mock Rockers Party
The Hall hosted a marvelous Supper and Party Band night with the Rock Mockers on Saturday 2nd December.
It was great to see so many villagers enjoying a home cooked dinner and dancing the evening away.
As always, thanks to the volunteers for organising the evening and cooking up a feast.
North Cerney Memorial Village Hall News - August 2023
Spurred on by the successful ‘Summer
Song and Supper’ concert, the Hall Committee are meeting regularly to plan further monthly social events. Sufficient revenue was raised to purchase additional kitchen ware.
A post covid ‘Build Back Better’ grant of £5000 supported by our County Councillor Paul Hodgkinson has been agreed in principle by the County Council. Therefore, we are busy updating the Constitution; Health and Safety; Safeguarding and Equal Opportunity policies. The grant will be spent on improving the kitchen and bar facilities as well as much needed matching tableware and glasses.
We now have designated Health and Safety committee members who have ensured that we are compliant with fire regulations, exit signage, ramps, first aid provision etc. There is also a qualified First Aider and there is a plan to train all of the committee whist offering an opportunity for others in the community to participate in a one-day accredited training.
Not everyone goes away in August and many organisations take a break. Therefore, we are organising a Social
Drinks evening on Sun evening 13th August and Afternoon Tea on Sun 20th August. Please come for a social time and support the use of the hall. See separate adverts for details.
A Horse Tack sale is being organised for the evening of Fri 13th October from 6.00-9.00pm Please contact Fran Robbins for further details.
There will be a local community Table Top sale on 21st October; an opportunity to purchase table space for £10 and sell your pre-loved and home-made goods. A Jumble sale will be organised for later in the year.
A date for the Harvest lunch will be announced in the next edition of Churn News as well as dates for table tennis, community suppers, coffee morning and an Art tuition class.
The bar build continues at a good pace and a larger drink cooler will enable more choice of alcoholic as well as soft drinks. The card reader ensures that both card and cash can be used. An Evening Drinks evening planned for Sunday 13th August will provide an opportunity to visit the bar if you did not manage to attend the concert or skittles evening.
Many thanks to Jules Giles who has been tending to the beds outside the hall for many years. Unfortunately, he has been unable to do so over the last few weeks and it shows! If anyone can help with weeding and re-planting can you please contact Sue Clegg.
North Cerney Memorial Village Hall News - July 2023
The 'Summer Song Time' choir and supper evening was the first social event organised by the hall committee this year. It proved to be a joyful and fun filled evening with old friends who hadn't seen each other for some years coming together and new friendships being formed. The Community Choir entertained us with a medley of pop, folk and traditional songs before a two-course supper cooked in the newly upgraded kitchen was served. This evening would not have been a success as a sociable gathering for the surrounding communities without the hard work of committee members who prepared the hall, cooked, staffed the bar, cleared in the kitchen etc. However, it cannot be done without the incredible help from willing attendees who helped with serving, stacking chairs/tables and being human dish washers at the end of the evening. Thank you, you know who you are!
Thanks also to Martin and Manifold Vet, Cirencester for sponsoring the Choir and to Janet and Nick Angus, North Cerney Gardens for providing funds for the Raffle Prizes.
The Initial phase of transforming the bar area is well underway thanks to Fran Robbins inspired design with Daryl Hamlett and 'Spike' Robbins giving up their evenings to become carpenters. Apart from being attractive and raising a smile, the finished bar's surface area will be larger to provide more serving capacity and thus ease queuing.
We now have a card reader so in keeping with the times, cards and cash can be used. The committee will use any surplus funds from the next few monthly events to purchase the materials and a much needed secure door from the bar area to the outside patio. Fundraising ideas will be most welcome.
North Cerney Coronation Celebration - May 2023
The Parish Council and North Cerney Village Hall Committee joined forces to organise the afternoon tea party. It was an uplifting afternoon as the community came together to enjoy chatting and making new friend. The Hall looked resplendent and the tables groaned with delicious food generously gifted.
A big thank to all those who helped, donated and attended. It was a very happy, right roal event.
North Cerney Memorial Village Hall
Gifted in perpetuity by Earl Bathurst in 1925, a piece of land was given to a group of local appointed trustees for the explicit purpose of constructing a village hall to replace the village reading room.
The Charity Commission (Charities Act 1960) agreed a constitution in 1962 which stipulates that the land and building:-
“shall be held in trust for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of North Cerney and the surrounding neighbourhoods thereof”
The constitution requires a committee of Management trustees to be appointed on an annual basis (AGM); to meet regularly and to ensure that all income generated is used to repair, insure and generally maintain the hall structure and fixtures in good order.
The current trustees which were appointed in March of this year aim to provide a range of facilities at an affordable cost to other charities, organisations and individuals.
Predictably, the increasing costs of maintenance, insurance, electricity and fuel is proving to be a challenge and the costs are ongoing whether the hall is occupied or under utilised as has been the case since Covid.
The new committee is determined to increase booking opportunities in order to raise funds and to upgrade the facilities as well as actively organising events to bring people together. The well attended and successful Jubilee and Coronation teas demonstrated the communities' wish to meet socially. The supper and dancing to a live band was also well attended in November 2022.
The kitchen has recently been fitted with a brand new commercial oven and serviceable worktops. Plans are in place to improve the bar facilities and small lounge area. The hall is a versatile venue and booking for family events are encouraged:- birthday, christening, wedding parties and wakes can be held for up to 80 people seated. For music and stage performances without tables the limit is100 people. Anyone is welcome to organise their own catering or hire private caterers. Alternatively, members of the committee who are experienced in catering and running a bar may be able to assist with your event.
Furthermore, the committee is keen to receive suggestions for how we can improve the use of the hall and to have conversations with you (without obligation) about any future events you might plan to organise. We will also be really pleased to welcome new committee members.
We have already had requests for coffee mornings, afternoon tea and suppers, barn dance, adult table tennis, skittles evenings, art/craft tutorials, table tops sales, clothes swaps and educational talks.