Further details, cost of hire, and an online booking enquiry can be found on:-
Bishopsbourne Village Hall Kent, England For Hire (hallshire.com)
Introduction
In 1924, Colonel Matthew Bell of Bourne Park made available land on which a village hall could be built. This was duly constructed by a local firm, the Huggets. Joseph Conrad, who had been living at Oswalds in the village since 1919, died the same year, but not before he had assisted with and contributed to the project. A porch was then added in commemoration, within which, above the oak doors, there is a plaque sculpted in teak by Dora Clarke. It is a portrait of Conrad, circled with the words JOSEPH TEADOR KONRAD KORZENIOWSKI, with the dedication on the left panel and a quotation from one of his works on the right. He is buried in Canterbury Cemetery. The hall was later named ‘Conrad Hall’.
The hall adjoins the Neame Meadow, within which there is a well-equipped children’s play area. It used to be known as the Recreation Ground, but in 1974, Richard Neame legally transferred the hall to the Bishopsbourne Village Hall charity, and the ‘rec’ to the parish council, which named the latter after him.
Beside the hall, there is a pétanque pitch where once bat and trap was played, and at the time of the hall’s construction, a bowling green. Behind it, a small garden extends back to the river, normally dry, but sometimes in full flow, a phenomenon occurring elsewhere in the Elham Valley.
Hall Facilities
Conrad Hall is used for village functions, and is available for hire. The auditorium is 6 metres wide and 11 long, with 14 folding tables and 80 chairs (the maximum capacity is 80 seated, 100 standing). The hall also contains a stage equipped with winch-drawn curtains and spotlights, although access from the wings is limited. To the rear of the auditorium on the left, there is a modern kitchen with cooker, refrigerators, and three sinks. At the entrance, there is a first-aid kit to BS8599-1, while there is a defibrillator in the porch outside. To the right, there is a storeroom with entrance to the stage, and from which the three lavatories are reached, one of which is for disabled use. There is also a pétanque pitch, and a children’s playground on the adjacent Neame Meadow.
Further details, cost of hire, and an online booking enquiry can be found on:-
Bishopsbourne Village Hall Kent, England For Hire (hallshire.com)
Registered charity 270579
