Opened by Lady Wombwell around 1920-22 it was known as the Institute and the smallest room where billiards was played was called the Reading Room. My father told me that he helped to transport the building from Ripon Army Camp after World War I, the means of carriage being horse and cart. I was never told how long or how many journeys were involved.
The hall was the centre for all the village social functions, e.g. whist drives, dances, public meetings, children’s parties, amateur dramatics etc. The women’s institute used it for their monthly meetings. The Reading Room was open every night except Sundays.
There were Trustees and a Committee responsible for the management of the hall. A caretaker was employed to clean the rooms, light the coke burning stoves and prepare the oil lamps; these were suspended form the roof rafters.
The cloak room was always known as “the ante room”; it was a very basic place!! All it contained were pegs to hang coats on and a long wood bench. It was difficult to find your coat and worse still your shoes if you had changed into your dance slippers; in fact it had the appearance of a jumble sale!
Note
[Now the new village hall is nearly ten years old, it is interesting to read about the old hall which was opened about 100 years ago.]
The stage where the local bands played is situated between the Dance Hall and Billiard Room. A local band known as B.S.K. (from Easingwold played every Saturday night through the war years. To the right of the stage there is a door leading into the kitchen (now much modernised). The facilities were very few; an iron copper heated by wood was used for hot water for drinks and washing up. There was a cold water tap, a sink and a wall cupboard for storage of crockery. Food for functions was always brought prepared, given voluntarily by the villagers.
The Elsan toilet was an outside shed through the kitchen; one had to have a lamp to find the way. The gent’s latrine was to the right of the main entrance at the back of the building.
The small strip of land between the hall and the road was waste land; there was no car park.
During the war, the military personnel did a lot of the repairs to the hall; there is no doubt if it had not been for these repairs the Village Hall at Husthwaite would not be standing today. The armed forces used the building on most nights for ENSA (Entertainments National Services Association) concerts and film shows. Village residents were always involved.
The building was bricked round and a clock was donated by Percy and Dorothy Moncaster; this is hung above the stage, which now has a ramp added for easier access; a new kitchen was fitted, also new toilets. The Village Hall was reopened by Lady Masham in 1993 after the work was complete
Percy Moncaster, past village resident
[Note this article appeared in Reminiscences of Husthwaite 1930s-1950s; some hard copies of these booklets covering the 20th C in Husthwaite or a CD version of the series are still available from the history society]