Community spirit saves threatened village hall

Nina Davies

Residents in a village near Bridgnorth are a step closer to securing the future of an historic community hall for generations to come.

Campaigners in Oldbury have joined forces to form a working committee to take over the running of the premises in Old Mill Lane.

It was feared the hall would be forced to close its doors, when the Oldbury branch of the Women’s Institute had to disband due to dwindling numbers.
But now the building, which dates back to the 1930s, has been thrown a lifeline by residents who have stepped up to form the Oldbury Village Hall Group.

Prince George and Princess Daisy enjoy a ride in a horse and carriage as part of the celebrations at last month’s Royal Wedding street party, the first community run event at the Oldbury village hall.

Following months of talks with the WI and support from the Community Council of Shropshire, legal discussions are taking place to finalise the handover.

Chairman of the group David Preston said: “The hall is very important to the community within Oldbury and there is a lot of goodwill among locals who are keen to make it a success.

“It is really a new era for the village and we hope to make improvements and raise the profile of the hall to encourage as many people as possible to use it.”

The first event staged by the group was a street party in honour of the Royal Wedding, which was judged a great success after a strong turnout.

It is hoped it will be the first of many such celebrations and social gatherings at the hall, which is already used by members for a variety of activities.

Tap-dancing lessons, Spanish, pilates, quilting, keep-fit as well as a long-standing parents and toddlers group are among the regular users who meet there.

Organisers are now appealing for any other similar organizations who would like to hire the hall, which is also available for birthday parties, to get in touch.

Anyone interested in booking the hall on a regular basis or just for a one-off event is urged to contact Kate Bedford on 07758 424413.

Historically the hall served as a makeshift fire station during the Second World War and also as a meeting place for young couples at weekly dances, held by the WI.

Showcasing new production

Bridgnorth Musical Theatre Company has announced it is to stage Disney’s magical Beauty and the Beast in February 2012.

The production heralds the start of celebrations for the company’s 60th anniversary year.

And on on Wednesday, 6 July at 7.30 pm it is holding a presentation evening to launch the show in The Old Hall at Bridgnorth Endowed School.

Anybody interested in musical theatre or who would be willing to help behind the scenes is invited to meet members of the company and its directors whilst enjoying a glass of wine.

BMTC promises that the scenery, costumes and special effects for this very special production will be spectacular.

“Not only is this production great all-round family entertainment, it is also a brand new show to add to BMTC’s long list of successful productions and is definitely one not to be missed,” said chairman Howard Marsh.

For more information about the company visit www.bridgnorthmusicaltheatre.co.uk

• The company’s performance of Brigadoon recently won West Midlands Best Musical 2010 awarded by NODA, the National Operatic and Dramatic Association.

Town clerk to stay on

Bridgnorth’s Town Council’s locum clerk Anne Wilson will be staying on until next year after having her contract extended until April.

Mrs Wilson, who came to the town from Milton Keynes, took over from Rachel Humphries, who later resigned.

She has worked in a similar role in various parts of the country, including Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Blooming beautiful!

Local company New Barns Nurseries has supplied around 250 hanging baskets to enhance Bridgnorth’s long-standing reputation for outstanding floral displays.

The town is a past winner of several awards for its magnificent flowers, and thanks to the efforts of the town council’s direct labour force, the streets and public spaces will again be blossoming all summer long.

As well as the baskets, New Barns has filled the mangers on the Quayside and troughs along the bridge with dazzling blooms. Water is taken daily from the Severn to keep the plants in peak condition – an eco-friendly solution that appears to produce bigger, more colourful flowers if local folklore is to be believed!

Pictured on the bridge with the first of the hundreds of baskets are locum town clerk Anne Wilson, direct labour force supervisor Tim Lewis and Barbara Groves of New Barns Nurseries, Hilton.

The history woman

Nina Davies talks to history buff Jane Smith about her new website which is encouraging Shropshire folk to share their memories of the past in a bid to build up a picture of times gone by.

Historian Jane Smith looks through her archives

History enthusiasts across Shropshire are being invited to share their memories and help others take a trip down memory lane – thanks to an innovative new website.

The exciting concept of being able to step back in time and browse stories and pictures from the past, is the brainchild of former Bridgnorth farmer Jane Smith.

The 65-year-old from Perton, says her aim is to record a snapshot of society through the ages, encompassing a wealth of material ranging from community history to industrial heritage.

Mrs Smith, who became interested in history at Aberystwyth University, says she has been able to plough more time and energy into the venture since giving up the farm.

“Share History is a site where historical records can be brought together and shared with others in order to build up a picture of people and places,” she said.

The grandmother-of-one is now urging everyone to dig out those old boxes of forgotten nostalgia and share them online to preserve the past for future generations.

“I was looking to create a website that was very simple in its construction and not categorised, where you could upload your own collection of items with no barriers.

“It could be history of anything, whatever your interest is and it does not matter how much you have, whether it is just one photo, or story or document or many.

“The prospect is exciting. We don’t know where the journey will take us but we will develop the site as the needs of our history dictate,” she added.

The site, designed by Welshpool based 27 Stars, which went live last year has been slow to take off in Britain but has already been well received in America, through Linked In.

Mrs Smith says she has just over 120 members from across the globe, uploading their historical material and is now looking to develop the site with the help of sponsorship.

Lessons in life-saving for pupils

MP Philip Dunne joined Highley pupils for some life-saving lessons

Highley Primary School pupils have been learning some vital lessons in potentially life-saving treatments.

Walsall Manor Hospital has played a key role in setting up the ‘Heartstart’ programme in schools around the country. The initiative teaches pupils simple skills that can help to save lives or how to react in a life-threatening emergency.

The hospital’s resuscitation officer Phil Jevon brought the progamme to the village where local MP Philip Dunne was on hand to learn along with the children.

“This is an excellent initiative to teach children how to save lives.

It is clear that lives can be saved with basic knowledge of simple procedures,” said Mr Dunne.

“I was surprised to learn that Highley is the only primary school in Shropshire which teaches life-saving skills to year 6 pupils. The British Heart Foundation provide all the resources for schools to offer these skills and I am writing to all heads in the constituency to make sure they are aware of this campaign.”

Supermarket plans get the go-ahead

Plans for two cut-price supermarkets in Bridgnorth on the same road on the outskirts of the town have been given the green light by Shropshire Council.

Aldi’s 990 sq ft store is scheduled to be built on part of a site that was occupied by Bridgnorth College of Further Education. The firm told the council it would offer high-quality own label brands with heavily discounted prices and fulfil a “neighbourhood shopping role” as well as attracting customers from the surrounding areas.

An unnamed 1,286 sq ft supermarket was approved for Chartwell Business Park which is also on the Stourbridge Road.

The Aldi application involved building the store near to 62 homes.

Persimmon Homes has already been given permission to construct 38 houses and a block of 24 apartments on the site.

Senior planning officer Richard Fortune said the Aldi development would bring economic benefits to the area and would have no significant impact on the vitality and visibility of existing retail centres.

With regard to the Chartwell plan, Mr Fortune said the proposal would not detract from the visual amenities of the area, would not be detrimental to highway safety and would not unduly harm residential amenity.