New hall in Shropshire village hosts its first event
A new village hall built with a half-million pound lottery grant has held its first major event.
A night of music, magic, laughter and food was held at Norbury Village Hall, which was completed this spring after residents bagged a £486,000 Big Lottery Fund grant in 2014.
The new two-room hall has been built to serve not just Norbury but also nearby Ratlinghope, Wentnor and Myndtown, and the celebration was to raise more money – but this time for repairs at Myndtown's 12th century church, which is on Historic England's at-risk register.
About 140 people turned out on the night, which saw performances from magician Sonny Pennington, Ludlow-based singing duo Trovatori and local singer/songwriters Dangerous Dave and Peter Lockerman.
Resident Nigel Savage-Bailey said: "Who needs the West End, Birmingham or Manchester, when the Village Hall of tiny Norbury can produce the show of the quality and talent we experienced tonight?
"Not only were our ears, eyes and funny bones stimulated, but our taste buds were sent into overdrive by so many local sausages and ales - a perfect combination."
Organiser John Burt said the 800-year-old Myndtown church, at the foot of the Longmynd, is threatened with closure, with a target of £10,000 to raise to stop that happening.
Reverend Norman Morris, who counts Myndtown among nine churches under his remit, said: "Thanks to the wonderful generosity of the people and businesses of the area, I am confident that the church will be there for generations to come".
The former village hall at Norbury, a black corrugated iron building that stood for 65 years, was been taken down and moved to the ground of nearby Walcot Hall, for posterity, in April.
