AFTER many years of waiting, Bridestowe finally celebrated the opening of its new village hall on Saturday. The opening was performed by the Mayor of West Devon, Cllr Dennis Bater, accompanied by mayoress Carolyn Langley, who was presented with a bouquet by 11-year-old Autumn Sefton, who won the competition to design a logo for the hall and had cut the first turf. Janet Rattenbury, head of the hall fundraising and administration committee, said everyone was delighted with the new hall after nine or ten years of working towards getting a new one. 'The pre-school started using the hall last week and they are delighted with it,' she said. Other groups regularly using the hall include ballroom dancing, short mat bowls and a book club. Three sets of ribbons were cut and two plaques unveiled by the mayor, covering the main hall, the Margaret Moore Suite and the pre-school areas. There was a photographic display of photos and a model of the old hall plus some photos of fundraising events for the new hall, together with the original plans and a photographic record of it being built. Everyone enjoyed champagne, provided by Waitrose, along with soft drinks and balloons for the children, and cream teas. Roger Partridge, the Okehampton storyteller, entertained and the Phoenix Youth Theatre performed an hour-long piece especially written for the opening. After closing for a couple of hours, the hall re- opened for an evening of entertainment provided free of charge by local artists. The old hall in the centre of the village was demolished in 2001 after being condemned as unfit for use the previous year, but it had had an unusual history. A timber Nissan hut, it was originally the sergeants' mess for Canadians at an army camp in Halwill. The building was moved to Bridestowe in 1938 and re-erected on land donated by the Leawood Estate. Mrs Rattenbury said older residents claimed it was once used for a meeting between General Eisenhower and Field Marshall Montgomery. Bob Hope also entertained troops in the village there in 1943 or 1944. Mrs Rattenbury said the decision was taken to sell the site of the old hall for housing and the money raised enabled villagers to purchase land to build a new hall, giving them a substantial financial start. She said: 'The building needed to provide a community centre capable of incorporating all the amenities required, from small meetings to large conferences as well as theatre and sports. The pre- school also needed new premises and it was decided to include this facility as well.' Mrs Rattenbury said they had had problems finding a building within their budget, but after searching for alternatives the committee engaged the service of Universal Landscapes, who were offering affordable buildings of renewable material. The hall is built of wood from sustainable Austrian forests and the walls are sealed units designed and constructed by Sebastian Klingler, an established company of the Austrian Tyrol. Among those who gave grants or donations to the hall appeal were West Devon Borough Council, DEFRA, WestDen, Biffa, and the parish council. The pre-school also received £55,000 from the National Lottery. 'Donations from individuals ranged from £30 to £5,000 and a large sum was raised by fundraising events. The whole project has cost approximately £530,000,' Mrs Rattenbury said. She said solar panels for the hot water were due to be installed shortly and the committee was also negotiating for more panels to provide electricity. There is still some money to raise for the hall, which will eventually be licensed, so fundraising will continue. l See page 14 for additional pictures.
