Village Doesn't Want Its Hall

From the Bath & Wilts Evening Chronicle, 8th August 1963

By Ronald Shearn

(Mr. Thomas pictured outside the village hall)

IN these days when nearly everyone seems to possess a car, motor cycle, television or transistor, activity at the village hall seems to be dwindling, or is it just the case at the village of Foxham, a few miles from Chippenham?

Yesterday afternoon I interviewed some of the 160 inhabitants of Foxham, where the village hall will later this month be offered for public auction by Thompson, Noad and Phipp. The building, once the local school, has not been used for at least two years. The last event there was a whist drive.

One of the trustees, Mr. G. Thomas, of Gate Farm, explained that no one appeared to want the village hall. Even when whist drives were held, people had to be brought in from outside.

Attractive prizes of turkeys, pheasants, ducks and other poultry cost more than the takings at the whist drives. Overgrown brambles many feet high are at the entrance, and ivy is climbing the public telephone kiosk, tucked away behind the wooden fence inside the grounds of the building. Some difference to a few years ago, when the gay chatter of the youngsters could be heard across the common from the classrooms, or the sound of revelry at night by the lads and lassies of Foxham!

Many years ago the village hall was the property of the Lansdowne estate, and there was a house attached. A one-time owner of nearby Cadenham Manor bought the house and gave the hall to the village, and the Foxham Village Hall Trust was set up. Present trustees include farmer Jim Glass, Geoff Thomas and Col. R. Baker.

Nowadays children either go to Chippenham, Calne or the neighbouring Christian Malford for their education.

One middle-aged inhabitant said it was a pity that village life is fading. She thought the younger folk were not interested in organising their own pleasures as in her days. It is so easy nowadays to seek entertainment elsewhere.

A little further from the village hall is a reading room and library, and this, too, is not patronised as it should be.

Mr. Thomas commented, "It is ridiculous having two village halls, and not one properly used."

Both water and electricity have been cut off from the hall some time now, but rates are still paid. The trustees considered, after taking legal advice, that the best idea would be to get rid of the hall and possibly use some of the money for improving the reading rooms and adjacent house. The reading rooms were endowed by the late Lord Fitzmaurice, one-time Cabinet Minister.