Southwater Village Hall held its official opening ceremony on Thursday 11th June 1925 after Southwater WI had started fundraising in 1921 for a parish hall. After lengthy and determined fundraising over the next few years, sufficient money was raised to go ahead. Although the original plan was for it to be built of brick, cost considerations meant that it had to be built of timber, clad with corrugated iron, with a corrugated iron roof. The building was erected by local builders, H. Baker and Son, at a total cost of £690. The hall was officially opened as a ‘centre for social activities’ by Sir Lancelot Aubrey-Fletcher, whose family had donated the land. The original Order of Service for the opening service is shown below.
Over the years , many improvements and alterations have been made to the original building, including a rear extension [now the Robert Piper Room]. It has been re-clad, re-roofed, re-wired, and has had a new floor. More recently he has had a new green heating system and solar panels installed, and the kitchen refurbished. Externally, a car park has been added, as well as a dedicated play area and outdoor classroom for the Preschool.
During the 2nd World War, the hall was used as a school for children evacuated from London and its use for educational purposed has continued with the Southwater Village Hall Preschool having been the hall’s primary user for over 50 years. As the only the only under 5s provision for many years, many local residents will have attended there, followed by their children, and grandchildren.
The hall was the home of Southwater Amateur Dramatic Society and saw many productions on its stage. Southwater Horticultural Society was also a long-term user and regularly used the hall for meetings, its annual flower shows, plant sales, and also for its annual pantomime productions. It has also been a place of worship, as the local Catholic Church, and now the Elim Church. It housed the local library and was also used by four badminton clubs. In the 60s it hosted regular gigs, including South London group ‘The Spirits’ and ‘the Blueberries’
The original hall
The Opening Ceremony Thursday 11th June 1925
A Jumble Sale in the 1970s
Southwater Horticultural Society
Southwater Horticultural Society first came into being in the early years of the last century. Originally an off-shoot of the Women’s Institute, it soon became independent, holding annual shows – a village fete day, in fact. The Society disbanded with the onset of World War 2, to rise again as part of the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign in 1945. Local groups were encouraged to join Village Produce Associations, a movement which rapidly spread throughout the country.
Over the years, the Society ran a number of annual shows including the Spring, Rose and Sweet Pea, Summer, and Autumn [Chrysanthemum and Dahlia] Shows, not forgetting the Plant Sale where members could sell off any surplus plants before the summer set in. In the 1970 and 80s it ran a successful shop at the old Southwater Railway Station selling garden requisites including fertilisers, seeds, manure and flower pots. It also had a a hugely popular ‘am – dram’ wing, SHADES, which put on an annual pantomime at the Village Hall. These were riotous events and great fun. There were summer outings and monthly talks, too. Highlights included a talk by Margueritte Patten on her wartime cookery experiences. It also hosted an episode of BBC Radio’s ‘Gardeners’ Question Time’. Both of these events were sell-outs.
Lifestyles and interests change and people move on. Over time the range of activities and events the Society was able to offer became smaller and the number of people to run them even smaller. It held its last Plant Sale in 2024 and disbanded later in the year.
Southwater Amateur Dramatic Society
‘The Crooked Road’ SADS first production Nov 1964
Some photos [undated]
