Northwood Green Social Hall has been an integral part of life in Westbury-On-Severn since WW2 many just do not know it.
In a small village called Northwood Green just off to the side of Westbury-On-Severn the Northwood Green Social Hall stands proudly next to the church. Everybody who lives nearby knows about it as it boasts many clubs run by the Hall Committee and people who hire it out to run their activities. All children who have grown up in Northwood Green have had at least one birthday party in the hall and everybody remembers it as a warm, welcoming and friendly place to be.
The hall was first erected in the time before WW2 and was a large green hut built on the field surrounding the current structure. Even back in the time of the war it was used to host gatherings and do meals for the village. However, by 1998 the condition of the hut had become quite dire and it had to be demolished and rebuilt. Luckily in Malvern an old temporary building - a schoolroom - had become available and the base of the schoolroom became the base of the current building. It seems from old photos of the reconstruction of the hall many members of the village took part in rebuilding the Social Hall and it was a community wide project that led to many good things for our small corner of Earth.
Since the reconstruction of the hall many clubs and activities have taken place there. Beginning with the old tradition of a Christmas party with a visit from father Christmas to the newer but unforgettable celebrations of Jubilees and coronations. The royal celebrations such as The Coronation Big Lunch drew many many people to celebrate as a village in our wonderful Social Hall where people talked and shared the all important tales of the hall and its history.
The Northwood Green Social Hall holds so many memories of birthdays, christenings and weddings of the people who live in Northwood Green that it would be wrong for us to allow the memories of its life to fizzle out. The hall has been run by many people but the importance of carrying its history has never been more important and that is why it is so amazing when people come along to the clubs offered by the hall such as the amazing reading circle, the informative gardening club, the incredible Severnside Stitchers and the integral yoga club. Community engagement and donation is mainly how the hall is funded and so they are hosting many social events for people to attend such as its monthly cafe on the green which takes place on the first Saturday of every month and the Quiz and Curry night which is set to take place for the first time this weekend (Saturday the 11th of November)
If you take one thing from this article it should be that most communities have a place that is their social hub - the place where they have birthday celebrations and meet for village parties, where they celebrate weddings and gather after christenings - and that perhaps we need to pay more attention to not forgetting to take that places history with us whilst the village evolves and grows up around it.
