More Parish Hall news
We have managed to get two acts from Villages in Action both for 2015; Lady Maisery in February and Clive Carroll in March. More on those nearer the date.
Published: 20 March 2019
We have managed to get two acts from Villages in Action both for 2015; Lady Maisery in February and Clive Carroll in March. More on those nearer the date.
The Country and Western Club will be here on 16 August with Pam Bailey and Johnny Neal, then an extra on 30 August with the Thrillbillies and on 20 September with Savannah. For more information contact Phil May on 01823 335314.
Clayhidon Friends meet on the second Thursday of every month. Contact Anne Langford for more details..680086.
The Art Group meet every Tuesday, usually at the Hall except during the good weather when they can be found taking in the scenery from various parts of the parish. Contact Bill Smith….421200.
Don’t forget the Hall is available for private hire at the very reasonable rate of £8/hour, everything included.
A minute’s silence for Bee Hill as hall committee holds its annual meeting
Members of Clayhidon Parish Hall committee stood for a minute’s silence for their vice chairman Bee Hill at the start of their annual meeting.
Her death in May shocked the whole community and was a severe blow to the committee.
Mike Hudson, the outgoing chairman, said they were all “enormously grateful for her enthusiasm and energy”.
Mike said the greatest burden of putting on events in what had been a very busy year had fallen on Bee.
In 2013/14 the hall was the venue for two plays, four concerts and a parish quiz plus regular events organised by Clayhidon Friends, the Country Music Club, the Art Group and the Parish Council, as well as badminton matches and private functions. Two of the concerts had been financially supported by Villages in Action.
He thanked the committee for their work at these events in setting up the hall, providing raffle prizes and refreshments and generally getting the show on the road.
These events had raised a total of £3,668 for hall funds. During the year nearly £8,500 had been spent on repairs and redecoration. Much of this went on external maintenance, including repairing and repainting the gable ends, painting the outside and replacing the gutters and downpipes.
Despite fund raising it would have been difficult to maintain a satisfactory cash flow without a substantial grant from Clayhidon Parish Council.
Volunteers from Clayhidon Friends and the hall committee had spent a day cleaning inside and outside the hall.
“The hall continues to provide an extremely valuable resource for the community and contributes significantly to the maintenance of social wellbeing and cohesion among the widely dispersed inhabitants of Clayhidon and its environs,” said Mike.
He had earlier announced that he was standing down after over six years as chairman. Doreen Pike resigned after 30 years on the committee. Both were thanked for their great efforts in making the hall such a success.
Gareth Weekes was elected chairman and Lucy Ball vice chairman. Caroline King was re-elected secretary and Rosemary Jones treasurer.
Click Here for reviews of Educating Rita, performed by the Uncommon Players at Clayhidon Parish Hall on 8 March.
Sheila Tyrrell: an inspiration to us all
Bee Hill writes: It’s with great fondness that Clayhidon remembers the vivacious and engaging contribution to our community of dear Sheila Tyrrell, a committed participant in the life of the Village Hall Art Group, WI/Friends and in community meals.
Sheila, at the age of 93yrs, was also the oldest and one of the most enthusiastic attendees of our Villages in Action shows, always keen to explore what was good and new on the rural touring arts circuit.
It’s not long ago that she appeared in a Culm Valley Gazette feature, donning her walking boots to walk, as she often did, up Rosemary Lane and down Battle Street en route to a performance; she was keen to put her voice behind our sadly abortive campaign to persuade MDDC to maintain its grant to the Villages in Action scheme. She knew and appreciated the joy and well-being it brought to many Devon village communities.
Had she been well enough to use the last ticket she bought Sheila would have been the oldest audience member at the recent Ben and Aflie gig, the youngest being only 9yrs old.
There are certainly few places where such an extensive age-range join together to enjoy an evening of superb, original music and poetry – it was the duo’s classical training and their musical experiences in Senegal that particularly appealed to Sheila who had spent many years in Africa; right to the end of her life she had a curiosity and interest in the whole world.
Sheila, you have been an inspiration to us all, long may your spirit of adventure and determination live on with us.
The last couple of months have been a really busy time at the hall with 3 events and the Big Breakfast falling within just 8 weeks.
Click Here for Gareth Weekes’ enthusiastic review
At the beginning of March Pam Reynolds and her team of cheery staff delivered yet another amazingly delicious Big Breakfast successfully raising £1180 in aid of Cancer Research UK. People flocked into the hall from miles around; a great tribute not just to the quality of the meals presented but also to the inclusive and friendly atmosphere that the event always seems to generate – thank you all so much!
Then on 8th March, The Uncommon Players presented Willy Russell’s play “Educating Rita” – another resounding success, reviewed here by a first timer to Clayhidon Hall by Brian Lewis: former head of drama at Kings School, Taunton, who asks Is it always like this in Clayhidon?”
Well, the answer to Brian’s last question is yes! The whole committee work hard to put on a splendid spread for those who want refreshments and very popular these are too! The show raised £544 for Hall Funds so thanks to you all for your support.
Village Hall annual general meeting
Notification will be made on parish notice boards, at the Hall and on the Parish website