A RECEPTION was held to celebrate the re-opening of All Cannings village hall over the weekend.

After a summer of hard work, the village hall refurbishments have finally finished, and it now boasts a larger kitchen and new heating system.

John Mead, 78, the village hall treasurer, said: “We had a very good turnout. We had the grant givers, the contractors and a number of the people from the village attend. Phillip Whitehead, the district councillor and Isabel Lane, the chairman of the village hall, were also both there and said some very kind words. A big thank you was said to everyone who worked on the hall and who could make this all possible. It was a nice day and we had a very sunny morning for it too.

“We had tea and coffee and enough cake to keep the village going for the next month. The village hall is very valuable to the people who live here and it is very well used. We hold children’s parties, private functions and meetings. This week we are already using it for a parish council meeting.

“The original building was opened in 1880 as a men’s reading room, which at the time was a very positive thing to have. Since then it has been considerably extended. With over 650 people living in the village, and being about five miles from anywhere, it is a very important community aspect. We already have regular bookings to use the hall with three out of the five week nights already being booked up.”

The committee received a grant from the Big Lottery for £7,500 to pay towards the hall’s new heating. Mr Mead added that these improvements would not have been possible without the support from the grant givers, and the committee would like to give due thanks to each and every one of them. The grant givers included North Wessex Downs, Concert at the Kings, Community First, Wiltshire Council and the National Lottery.