A popular village hall is celebrating its 70th birthday in style this weekend.

Lawton Memorial Hall in Lawton Hall Drive, Church Lawton, is throwing open its doors on Saturday (October 7th), with an open day.

The hall opened in October 1953 and to mark the occasion volunteers have been busy planning an exciting day with events for the whole family.

The fun starts at 12 noon and will continue throughout the afternoon with a gala evening event later.    

The open day will feature demonstrations and taster sessions from its regular users, activities to take part in, competitions, opportunities to find out more about the hall and its history.

The fun will continue in the evening with a Gala Evening of entertainment and enjoyment led by Andy Lloyd.

A spokesperson said: "The hall was built following extensive fund raising by local people as a special memorial to all those who lost their lives in the two World Wars.

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"It was an heroic and heartfelt project to remember those who had not returned following the conflicts, providing a meeting and gathering place for the 'benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of Church Lawton'.

"The original Lease and Trust deed, dated 30th July 1953, stated that the premises 'shall be held upon trust for the purposes of physical and mental training and social moral and intellectual development'."

In the 1990's, the original wooden structure of the hall was deemed unsafe and again local people stepped in to raise funds to rebuild the hall with modern facilities and meeting rooms.

In 2023, Church Lawton Parish Council took over as the sole trustee.

"It has survived the challenges of the pandemic and with the support of a dedicated group of volunteers, it is set to continue to provide an important facility for the community."