Centenary

The Celebration to mark the Centenary of Great Bromley Village Hall took place on Saturday 1st July 2023. The weather was fine and sunny for most of the day which enabled children to make the most of the outside activities provided for them and visitors to wander freely inside and outside the building and enjoy the lovely setting for which the hall is well known.

A short history...

Great Bromley Village Hall was built in 1923 for the use and benefit of the residents of Great Bromley by Percy Crossman, a benefactor to several village organisations including the Church, School and Cricket Club. Mr Crossman had provided land in 1920 to establish a village Cricket Club and the Village Hall was built on the edge of the cricket ground fronting the B1029 road.
The Village Hall initially comprised the Main Hall and stage as you see it today, a Billiard Room (which now forms part of the Small Hall) together with cloakrooms either side of the main entranceway (now storerooms) and a kitchen/changing room. The venue proved popular from the outset and in 1925 Mr Crossman funded extensions to the building including a large addition to the Billiard Room (where the snooker table now resides).

For the next 40 years the village hall was very well used by parishioners. A large number of clubs and societies formed in the village and the Village Hall was a venue much in demand and the centre of village social activity. The particularly high ceiling made it ideal for playing badminton.

In 1946, Douglas Peter Crossman, who by then owned the building and cricket field following the death of his father, donated the Village Hall and Cricket Ground to Great Bromley Parish Council stipulating that it was to be used for the benefit of the residents of Great Bromley. Later, in 1967, Mr Crossman and fellow members of Great Bromley Parish Council transferred control of the Village Hall and grounds to a third party trustee which, when formed, became the registered charity known as 'Great Bromley Village Hall'.

In the early 1970s, the managing trustees made major improvements to the hall to make it even more functional. A modern kitchen, back lobby and large storeroom were built at the rear of the building and the old kitchen converted into a changing room/meeting room (the current Committee Room). The number of activities of all types remained steady throughout the 1980s and 90s. A new multi-purpose beech wood floor was laid in the main hall during this period and as the New Millennium approached the trustees embarked on an ambitious project to add a further extension to the building. Known as the Millennium Lounge, the extension was opened in 2001 and proved to be very popular with hirers. Further improvements to the building have taken place since then, which include installing a new roof, a modern kitchen, replacement windows, upgraded toilets, a fully equipped disabled toilet and refurbishing the wooden floors throughout the building.

The Centenary celebration...

The event was planned by the village hall management committee together with Great Bromley Women's Institute and some regular users of the village hall. The latter mounted displays in the Main Hall which gave details of their organisations and their activities. Comprehensive and informative displays were provided by the WI, Great Bromley Parish Council, St George's Church, St George's School and Seven Rivers Cheshire Home, with smaller displays from the Badminton Club, Karen Mayze Yoga and the Solid Earth Band. The Men's Social Club had a small display which included their original silver challenge Cup dating back to the 1920s and their members entertained visitors by played non-stop snooker throughout the day. The WI crafting group, which meets monthly in the hall, provided a crafting area in which visitors could try their hand at making paper butterflies and flowers and also watch a spinning wheel demonstration.

Great Bromley WI provided a very popular cafe in the Small Hall, serving free food and drink for all tastes and ages. The excellent home-made food, for which WI members are well known, was much appreciated and resulted in donations of £300 to offset the cost of the fare.

Hugh Frostick, the local history recorder, co-ordinated a village history exhibition in the Millennium Lounge utilising display boards kindly loaned by St George's School. This proved to be very popular and informative and led to many happy reminiscences.

Outside, the Solid Earth Band played two 2 excellent sets on the veranda of the cricket pavilion. They have used the village hall for their rehearsals for several years and are becoming known for their local gigs. They played free of charge for the Celebration, which was much appreciated by those listening and in particular the large contingent of staff and residents from Seven Rivers who based themselves in the adjacent marquee for much of the afternoon.
Free activities for children included a bouncy castle, magician shows and balloon crafting. Annie Sands kindly provided a free face painting booth which, as usual, went down well with the children who wore their new liveries with pride. The magnificent 1927 Sunbeam car parked by the front entrance to the hall gave an appropriate reminder of the historical significance of the occasion and times past.

The Village Hall Management Committee are most grateful to all those who gave freely of their time to plan the event and set up the activities on the day. Team spirit and hard work was much in evidence and was a fitting tribute to all those who have worked hard and played hard at the village hall over the years and made it into the fine facility it is today.