The Old Parish Hall with the New Parish Hall behind it.
April 2010
From the ‘Wigton Advertiser’. March 31st 1928
Annals of Thursby - ‘All About the Recreation Hall’. - Summary
After the end of the First World War, members of the Sports Committee and members of the Thursby WI were finding difficulty in finding a place in which to hold their meetings. During 1920 a committee was formed to carry out any recreation in the parish and was called Thursby Sports Club. Mr J Selby Chance of Crofton Hall was appointed their president.
‘Any surplus sums from sports, etc’ were placed in an account by the Sports Committee, to be put to a ‘useful purpose in the parish at some future
time’.
Thursby WI then came forward and offered to give any assistance possible, financial or otherwise, with the view to purchase a hut from Gretna. This would be erected near the village to provide a recreation room, etc. At that time Mrs Selby Chance was the President of Thursby WI.
Enquiries were made at Mill Hill, Gretna, when any suitable huts would be disposed of, and on 8th May 1922 a deputation of the Sports Club went up to Gretna to inspect the three available huts. They reported back at a special meeting and it was agreed that an offer of £75 would be submitted for one hut (25’ X 80’). This was accepted, and ‘the members of the Spots Club feel very indebted to their president Mr Chance who at once forwarded a cheque so that the hut’ was made secure.
The next step was to find a location for the hut. The present site was purchased from the Yew Tree estate for £20. The Committee members then arranged to bring the hut down from Gretna by motor transport and then erected the building on the present site.
In the meantime the sum of £16 1s was allotted to the ex-servicemen of Thursby Parish as their share of the profits from the canteen fund during the war, provided that it was applied to some recreation purpose within the parish. A meeting of the ex-servicemen was held, and since one third of the Sports Committee were ex-Servicemen, it was agreed that the money should be amalgamated with the Sports Club funds. This was duly authorized by the Administrative Assistant of the United Service Fund.
The first meeting of the Committee was on 14 November 1922. 25 Thursby WI members were present, and most of the members of the Sports Club. They met in the anteroom, which had been taken off the large room for the use of committee meetings and a supper room when required. It was unanimously agreed that the Hall would be called Thursby Recreation Hall, and that it would be opened on the first Friday in December 1922. Two members of the WI were appointed to purchase a piano ‘on the best possible terms’ which the WI would gift to the Hall, and a subcommittee was
appointed to attend a sale at Gretna on the 12 December to purchase suitable furniture. Crockery, etc was gifted by a Mrs Sewell of Stanwix and members of the Committee, and a clock by Mr Chance.
The receipts for the first year totalled £163 17s 3d, and after expenses left a balance of £43 15s. Mr Chance, who had leant the original £75 for the purchase of the Hall, was repaid in full (no interest charged) in August 1924. The total cost in connection with the purchase, transport, erection and fitting out of the hall had cost £350.
In 1926 a kitchen and boiler house was added and fitted, the cost being £90.
Annals of Thursby - ‘All About the Recreation Hall’. - Summary
After the end of the First World War, members of the Sports Committee and members of the Thursby WI were finding difficulty in finding a place in which to hold their meetings. During 1920 a committee was formed to carry out any recreation in the parish and was called Thursby Sports Club. Mr J Selby Chance of Crofton Hall was appointed their president.
‘Any surplus sums from sports, etc’ were placed in an account by the Sports Committee, to be put to a ‘useful purpose in the parish at some future
time’.
Thursby WI then came forward and offered to give any assistance possible, financial or otherwise, with the view to purchase a hut from Gretna. This would be erected near the village to provide a recreation room, etc. At that time Mrs Selby Chance was the President of Thursby WI.
Enquiries were made at Mill Hill, Gretna, when any suitable huts would be disposed of, and on 8th May 1922 a deputation of the Sports Club went up to Gretna to inspect the three available huts. They reported back at a special meeting and it was agreed that an offer of £75 would be submitted for one hut (25’ X 80’). This was accepted, and ‘the members of the Spots Club feel very indebted to their president Mr Chance who at once forwarded a cheque so that the hut’ was made secure.
The next step was to find a location for the hut. The present site was purchased from the Yew Tree estate for £20. The Committee members then arranged to bring the hut down from Gretna by motor transport and then erected the building on the present site.
In the meantime the sum of £16 1s was allotted to the ex-servicemen of Thursby Parish as their share of the profits from the canteen fund during the war, provided that it was applied to some recreation purpose within the parish. A meeting of the ex-servicemen was held, and since one third of the Sports Committee were ex-Servicemen, it was agreed that the money should be amalgamated with the Sports Club funds. This was duly authorized by the Administrative Assistant of the United Service Fund.
The first meeting of the Committee was on 14 November 1922. 25 Thursby WI members were present, and most of the members of the Sports Club. They met in the anteroom, which had been taken off the large room for the use of committee meetings and a supper room when required. It was unanimously agreed that the Hall would be called Thursby Recreation Hall, and that it would be opened on the first Friday in December 1922. Two members of the WI were appointed to purchase a piano ‘on the best possible terms’ which the WI would gift to the Hall, and a subcommittee was
appointed to attend a sale at Gretna on the 12 December to purchase suitable furniture. Crockery, etc was gifted by a Mrs Sewell of Stanwix and members of the Committee, and a clock by Mr Chance.
The receipts for the first year totalled £163 17s 3d, and after expenses left a balance of £43 15s. Mr Chance, who had leant the original £75 for the purchase of the Hall, was repaid in full (no interest charged) in August 1924. The total cost in connection with the purchase, transport, erection and fitting out of the hall had cost £350.
In 1926 a kitchen and boiler house was added and fitted, the cost being £90.