Help – LydbrookMemHall

Memorial Hall AGM

The Memorial Hall is a venue with great potential. It’s used at present for the Lydbrook Players’ stage shows, the Parish Council meetings, some groups, including badminton and yoga, and for occasional parties and wedding receptions, and as a polling station for elections. Prior to Covid, it was in use almost every evening, but that outbreak changed a lot of good habits.
We, the Trustees, are trying to make the hall as accessible and popular as possible. It serves the village and surrounding area and can be used for many different purposes. But we would welcome some fresh people, particularly some younger people, on the committee. We meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month, as a rule, usually for around an hour. So, it’s not an onerous duty.
If you’re someone looking to make a contribution to the village amenities, please come along to the AGM, as advertised above. The meeting will be relatively short and is an ideal opportunity for new people to learn about what we do, ask questions, and put themselves forward as trustees if they wish. We’re a friendly group and don’t stand on ceremony, preferring to get things done in the best way we can.

A Splendid End to 2024.

This year, we have tried some new ventures in the Memorial Hall and on the Recreation Ground.
On November 5^th we held our first Bonfire Night event on the Recreation ground. There’s a post about that here.

On 1^st December, we held our first Christmas Fair in the Memorial Hall. There were lots of full tables with gifts, skilfully crafted items, books, toys and other items for sale. The Tombola was well-received, and the Raffle was particularly popular.

Hot drinks and cakes were enjoyed by many visitors.

And the children had a chance to sit on Santa’s lap and receive a gift, and were also able to have fun making Christmas decorations.

Later the same day, our first outdoor Christmas Tree, which had been erected a few days earlier, became the centre of attention.

People from the village gathered to witness the lighting of the tree, while members of Lydbrook Band played carols and seasonal tunes, which the crowd were invited to sing-along to.

This turned out to be another event that was well-attended and enjoyed by many.

The Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all the sponsors who made these events possible. These sponsors across all events were Central Stores Lydbrook, Gladstone Sawmills, Cafe Vanille, Lydbrook Car Body Repairs, and the people of Joys Green and Lydbrook. Numerous others helped with donations, raffle prizes, cakes etc all contributing to the total enjoyment and the raising of over £6,000 towards the children’s play equipment!! And, of course, quite a few volunteers were on hand to set up and run the events.

So, our Sincere Thanks to all involved. Thank you!!

Lydbrook Summer Fete Was Splendid!

The Fete, organised and run by a small subcommittee led by Andrew Clements on behalf of Lydbrook Memorial Hall with the invaluable help of many volunteers and organisations from across the community, proved an outstanding success. Too many people to thank individually but, our sincere thanks for everyone who set it all up, put everything down, and helped clear up afterwards; you all know who you are! A big thank you also to everyone who donated raffle and tombola prizes and to all those local businesses that supported the event by giving their time and products. Also, it was great to have so many different stalls and activities run by so many people, thank you all.

Lydbrook Training Band, Yule’s Group, Morris Men, and Ships and Giggles sea-shanty group provided musical entertainment.

At the time of writing, we’re still awaiting the total of money raised from the event. I know those responsible will announce this soon.

And it was great to see the whole event so well attended by so many local people.

There was lots of live music, a tombola, BBQ food, tea and lovely cakes, a dog show, drinks, face-painting, games, stalls, a Victoria Sponge baking contest, bric-a-brac and more! I was unable to spend as long at the event as I’d have liked, unfortunately, so I missed some of the fun. But I’ve included some photos I took on the day and hope these will act as reminders of the fun and joy all shared.

Once again, THANK YOU to all involved

Subsequent to the Fete, the group of people who run the Memorial Hall and the Recreation Ground held their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday in the Hall. There were eleven people present. 8 of those were trustees and two were trustees’ wives, the eleventh volunteered as a new trustee!
It’s disappointing so few members of the local community feel they can help the charity that looks after these two assets. We need new trustees, as we’ve lost three recently, and another is probably leaving at the end of the year. So, please, come along to our next meeting, Tuesday 3^rd September, in the hall at 19:00. You’ll be made welcome. Thank you.

This Year’s AGM is Approaching.

We have lost one of our stalwart trustees recently. The committee is an entirely voluntary, unpaid system of ensuring the Memorial Hall and the Recreation Field with its community centred car park are both properly maintained.
Much of the work to keep things going is done by committee members at no cost to the charity. We could do with some new members to ensure we continue to provide the sort of amenities the village wants.
So, if you’re available, willing, and able, why come along to the AGM and ask whatever questions you need, and maybe put yourself forward as a committee member? You’ll be made welcome. Thank you.

Working on the Wall

Wall long — The length of the wall ready for pointing.

Recently, work’s been done by volunteers to clear the ivy and some of the buddleia from the strip of land behind the wall of the Recreation Ground as it runs beside the main road though the village. The roots of these plants had grown between the stones and they’re threatening to destabilise the wall. We now hope people with the necessary skills will volunteer to re-point the wall where needed. Without this work, the wall, started by willing volunteers in July 1934 and completed about a year later, is in danger of eventual collapse in places. We’d like to stop that happening, and with your help we can. We’ll pay for the materials, but we don’t have funds for the wages generally deserved for such skilled work, so, we need willing volunteers like the folk who originally built the wall. Anyone willing to do this, or any other work, please contact us by email to lydbrookmh(at)yahoo(dot)com, or by using the form in the ‘Contact’ tab above, or by speaking to any of the Trust Committee. Your help will be much appreciated. Thank you.

Wall portion — A portion of the wall, showing some of the wear and tear.

New Floor, New Badminton Court!

Over the past few days, a couple of generous gentlemen volunteers, who wish to remain anonymous, have been diligently attacking the floor of the hall. Estimates are that it was last given any treatment some 20 years ago, maybe longer.

The badminton court had almost disappeared with wear, some of the floorboards were sprouting splinters, and the general finish was pretty poor. So, we shelled out the cash for the necessary equipment and materials, and a couple of stalwarts volunteered to do the deed without charge.

Due to almost constant use, it was difficult to find days when there would be free time to get on with the task. But through liaison between our splendid secretary, Faith Myers, and our wonderfully flexible users, we were able to fit in the various tasks.

First, the floor needed sanding to remove the old varnish and smooth away the splinters. That inevitably led to dust falling in places we’d really rather it hadn’t. But the hall is such that it’s impossible to store everything away from such contamination. No matter, once the sanding was finished, the residual dust was soon cleaned away.

Next came the marking out of the new Badminton Court. An online search brought up plans in metric and imperial and these were handed to the men on the job. Tape measures, knives, set squares and tape to hand, they marked out the lines to form a perfect modern court.

Then came the painting of the white lines. A tedious and exacting job, particularly in the hot weather we’ve been experiencing recently.

Badminton ct — The Badminton Court is painted in place.

The longest job, requiring total absence of users from the hall for 3 days, was the application of the recommended coating. This non-slip varnish was applied in 3 coats over the white lines to help protect them against future wear.

The job was finished on Friday and left to dry in time for use on Saturday. Now, everything is back to normal for all users. The Committee would like to extend their thanks to the gentlemen who did the work (you know who you are!) and users have also asked us to express their thanks for a splendid job well done!

New floor — And the new floor is ready for use!

Without this sort of generosity from local people, we wouldn’t be able to afford to keep the hall (and the recreation ground) up to scratch. We’re always looking for help, so if you’re willing, please contact any of the committee or use the short form on the contact page to get in touch with us. Thank you.

Working to Improve the Hall

Anthony dan on bay — Dan Jacobs (foreground) and Anthony Brooke of Elco Property Maintenance applying waterproofing to the roof of the Hall’s bay window.

We like to keep everyone in the picture about what’s happening in the Memorial Hall and on the Recreation Ground.

At present, the bay window on the hall, which has been suffering water leaks for some time, is undergoing repair and renovation work. Rain has been penetrating via cracks in the fabric and this is now being sealed to make the roof watertight. We were eager to get this done during the hot dry spell, to ensure we could seal in dryness, after the heat has removed all internal damp from the structure.

The floor of the hall has been sanded and will be revarnished, with a new Badminton Court laid down. This is due to happen in the next few days. Please be patient while this work is undertaken by volunteers. Thank you.

You’ll all be aware that the Recreation Ground is also undergoing changes. We’ve organised the removal of weeds and brambles on the slope along the Church Road side of the field. Once that’s been cleared (we’re using a contractor to apply safe weedkillers so the brambles can be removed) we’ll endeavour to keep it clear. It would be really wonderful if we could have volunteers to perform a regular strim along those slopes once the brambles have been cleared. Any good-hearted folk with the necessary equipment, time and energy would be welcomed by the Committee. Please contact us using the form on the Contacts page. If you know a Committee member, please feel free to contact them personally to offer any help. Thank you.

The wall, currently under partial demolition, running beside the pavement up the slope from the main road to the car park entrance, is still in the process of removal. This will allow both motorists and pedestrians to enter and leave the car park in more safety, and people will be able to cross the road with better views of oncoming traffic in both directions. This work is being done at no cost to the Trust, and is therefore subject to some delays, as the machinery involved is offered for hire by the company. Clearly, during the good weather, the business involved has to take advantage of paying opportunities. So, please bear with us. The job will be completed, but it will take time.

New Flagpole; New Flag!

The more observant among the villagers of Lydbrook may have noticed there’s a new flagpole decorating the Memorial Hall, complete with Union Flag flying.

The old pole was in a dangerous condition and we were intending to remove it as not fit for purpose. The building would have been left without its flagpole.

Fortunately, some new neighbours of our Treasurer, Keith Newman, were happy to donate the pole from the grounds of their new home. Maxine and Terry Hannam then helped Keith and his son to erect the new pole.

So, many thanks from the Trustees to these generous villagers.

Annual General Meeting

AGM full

On Sunday, 10th June 2018, Chair of the Trustees, Graham Williams, presented the annual report for the Lydbrook Memorial Hall and Recreation Ground committee in the hall. Keith Newman, Treasurer, also reported on the year’s spending and income and the current state of the charity’s finances. Faith Myers, Secretary, was present to record the meeting and ensure all went as required.

Many of the current trustees were in attendance, as well as a few members of the local community interested in our activities and facilities. That aspect of the meeting was a little disappointing. Perhaps the good weather kept many away in their gardens. It would have been encouraging to have more interest by local people, but most have busy lives.

AGM panel

Below is the text of the Chair’s address for those who weren’t able to attend, and anyone else who’s interested in what goes on in their local village hall and the recreation ground.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT JUNE 10th, 2018

Good afternoon and a warm welcome to the 2018 Annual General Meeting of the Lydbrook Memorial Hall and Recreation ground charity.

The charity finds itself in a generally positive situation with more users, a higher rate of use of the facilities and improvements to the Hall which are ongoing to make the Memorial Hall and the Recreation ground more amenable for the community.

The Forest New Life Church no longer use the Hall for Sunday morning services. We wish them well and thank them for their support during their tenure here. However, they are continuing with their week of entertainment for children at the beginning of the summer holidays.

We have had the professional Pantaloons touring group, yoga and Zumba classes, a singing evening, a bicycle maintenance class and the Lydbrook school talent show recently. These users are of course on top of the regular users the Lydbrook Players, the WI, the badminton club and our tenants the Lydbrook Athletic & football club. We still have time slots available for new activities so get your thinking caps on and if you have some sensible suggestions as to how we can utilise the Hall even more then the Committee is always willing to listen to new ideas.

It must become a priority to raise more funds so that we can at least apply for grant matched funding. The Memorial Hall is now in its nineties and is structurally sound but continually needs maintenance. Recently we have had to repair the guttering after it was damaged during the first snow of the winter and having had work done to the bay window we find we have to spend money again as it continues to leak. Both items have highlighted the need to try and get it right first time. This is not easy when you are running the charity on a small budget.

As a Committee we need to ensure that work is carried out to a good standard and anything disturbed/removed is made good so that the work is done satisfactorily and will last for years without extra unexpected work.

So, what has the Committee been doing for you over the past 12 months?

The second stage of the heating has been installed in the toilets and upstairs meeting rooms. Thanks to the Parish Council for their grant towards this. We plan to replace all the toilet units, install a more efficient water system and upgrade the disabled toilet to bring it up-to the current required standard. The Hall and entrance lobby are in the process of being re-decorated and with the new lighting the memorial plaque is illuminated again – and you can see the front door to get in!

We have material quotes to renovate the front of the stage, but more analysis needs to be done to understand how best to carry out the work. The Hall floor will be sanded and varnished this summer so that the badminton club players will be able to see the tram lines again.

Our biggest challenge this year has been the Recreation ground. The Committees agreed intention is still to remove the stone walls either side of the car park entrance and replace them with metal railings to improve the visibility for vehicles exiting the carpark. We have a limited budget and, therefore we were, and still rely on the co-operation of local business to provide the machinery and carry out the work. We apologise for this and ask for your patience and understanding while we continue to complete the work. We have contacted Gloucestershire County Council to see if we can lower the kerb on the car park entrance, but we do not know if this will be approved.

After reviewing the legal requirements and carrying out a risk assessment on the carpark area we are instigating parking permits. There is now a dog poo bin at the front entrance and we are having to look at installing fencing to prevent the wild boar getting onto the recreation ground.

The other item to note is the proposed children’s’ playground. The previously raised money is in a separate account and is ring-fenced, but we would need to raise a considerable amount of money to build and install such a playground and fund the insurance that we would need on an annual basis. We do not have anything like the funds to make this happen so this will remain a pipe dream for the foreseeable future unless we find new ways of funding it. Any suggestions and ideas are always welcome.

General maintenance continues to be carried out on both the Hall and the recreation ground. Apart from the annual bank cutting our intention this year is to get rid of the brambles, any dead trees and dangerous or damaged metal work.

We hope to put on a family fun day on the August bank holiday Saturday, the intention being to raise money for the charity through stalls, games and a raffle.

We now have our first web-site, lydbrookmemhall.co.uk, so we can now provide up-to date information on current and upcoming events together with the monthly Committee minutes and accounts. Copies will also be posted on the front door for those who do not have internet access.

At 11am on November 11^th, 2018 the nation will mark the centenary of the guns falling silent at the end of World War One. The service of remembrance will take place at Lydbrook Parish Church of the Holy Jesus where everyone will be welcome. The parade and laying of wreaths will then take place at the Memorial Hall together with the observance of the two-minute silence at 11am.

Finally, I would like to thank the outgoing committee for asking me to be Chairman and for their support throughout the past twelve months which have been quite busy and secondly, on behalf of the committee I would like to thank all our benefactors for their financial support and to all of you for coming this afternoon.

The Treasurer’s summary is available under the ‘Minutes and Accounts’ tab, above, where you’ll also find the minutes of all meetings. We’re intending to post the minutes on the doors of the Hall this year, too.

As you’ll note, we’re intending to work on the Recreation ground toward the end of June, after the annual cutting of the banks on Church Road. We’re hoping to clear the brambles, nettles and the old trees, all the old metalwork, and anything else that needs attention. Later, we intend to apply for a grant to plant new trees on the bank.

If you’re handy with a spade, secateurs, or any other garden tools, or just willing to lend a hand shifting the weeds and rubbish to a central point for collection, please come along. We’d welcome all the help we can get. Announcements of dates and times will appear here and on the Facebooks groups for the village. Thank you.

Our New Website

interior for poster

This is the new website for the Lydbrook Memorial Hall and Recreation Ground. It was initiated on 22nd March 2018, and is currently under construction. Please be patient whilst all the necessary information and images are gathered together to present users of the facilities with a full picture.

From time to time, a short post will appear here to inform interested parties of any changes to the Hall and/or the Recreation Ground. If you have such news, please let the site editor know by using the ‘Contact’ page.