Layout improvements & variable ceiling

In the early part of the new century, it had become apparent that the internal space of the Hall was not adequately serving the purposes of its current usage. Derek Colley, a local retired Civil Engineer, redesigned and repurposed some of the spaces on the ground floor to achieve the layout we see today. This involved, for example, removing the showers for which, it turned out, there was little need.

Derek also realised that the 9m ceiling in the Lechmere Hall, although ideal for sports such as badminton, created lighting and heating problems for social events when people were mainly seated. To solve the problem of catering for both types of users, he designed the eight-panelled variable ceiling which we use today. This was installed by a team of volunteers and professionals in 2009. The volunteers from the village were: Derek Colley, Fred Jolley, Mike Andrews, John Bray, Ian Quayle and Alan Harvie.

The eight panels were each raised and lowered manually using a chain hoist installed with each panel.  This turned out to be a more strenuous exercise than originally envisaged, so the raising and lowering duties were mainly carried out by the Caretaker. The lowered ceiling reduced heating costs and provided for cosier social events with better lighting and acoustics.