Quaintest village hall on the move in Devon

By Jo Bishop BBC Radio Devon

This picture was taken inside the hall in 1960

People in a Devon village have said their goodbyes to one of the country's most quaint village halls - a wartime Nissen hut.

After 60 years Umborne Village Hall is being replaced with a modern timber framed building.

If walls had ears, what would this unassuming social meeting place have heard over the years?

The story of the hall started on Dunkeswell Airfield in WWII when it became a base for American airmen.

When they decamped back to the US the redundant building was bought for £200 by the nearby Umborne WI, which later became the Umborne Ladies Circle.

The hall was removed lock, stock and corrugated roof to a field in Umborne where its draughty, damp, cramped condition has been loved and unloved for the last 60 years.

The redundant building was bought for £200 at the end of the war

Peter Rugg was there when the hall arrived in 1947 and remembers helping to dig a hole in the hedge for the gate.

He said: "We had some wonderful games here and dances. Back in those days it was different dances to today, you put your arms around each other - and some quite pretty girls, they still stick in my mind."

Rob Summers, now chairman of the trustees, remembers going there from the age of three.

In his young farmer days he was banned by the trustees.

"We used to have a Christmas Eve party, I suppose they gradually got more raucous as the years went on.

"Probably we overstepped the mark one year and the trustees put their foot down and said no more parties for the wild young things."

Dancing had to stop 20 years ago when the floor finally proved too unstable, but regular theme nights have been popular.

Organiser Rick Wood said: "We've had an Italian night, a Caribbean night, a French night, cavemen night.

"People dress up and do silly things and misbehave and we have fun and raise money for the hall.

"It's got character. Not many people have social functions in a Nissen hut which is 62-years-old."

A party was held to mark the end of 60 years' of use of the hut

Together with grants the regular fundraising, amounting to £41,000, has enabled the community to commission a new timber framed building, so the Nissen hut is finally going.

In fact back to its roots at Dunkeswell Airfield to serve as a museum of wartime artefacts.

Twelve-year-old Jess said: "We'll miss the hall, but I'm glad they're getting a new one because it's sort of falling apart now as it's been here a while."

Tony Gosling said: "This hall always looked like it was going to fall down at any moment but over the years we've managed to keep it together purely with paint and a little bit of love as well."

Chairman Rob said: "There'll be a lump in the throat. It will be sad to see it go, but it's served its purpose and it's time to move on."

So back to the question of what those walls may have heard over the years, Eleanor Wood said: "I think there would be some very juicy tales especially round the back where it's quite dark.

"I don't know what used to go on out there!"