It's all happening at the hall

They are the hubs of our communities, a national week was recently organised to celebrate them, and Pam Rhodes’ latest book has one at its heart. Rachel Banham looks at the importance of village halls and memorial halls in our region.

- Rachel Banham

Who doesn’t have a memory of a village or memorial hall? Maybe you enjoyed a dance class in your local hall when you were a child? Perhaps you held your wedding reception in one, or maybe you meet friends regularly at a hall today?

Broadcaster and author Pam Rhodes has seen many such halls and her latest book, Springtime at Hope Hall, was inspired by the memorial halls across the country that are the glue for local communities.

Pam recalls how she has spent 32 years visiting churches in towns and cities across the country for BBC’s Songs of Praise, on many occasions being aware of the hall attached to the church or community halls of various kinds.

Springtime at Hope Hall is the first book in the trilogy and brings together a series of endearing stories and colourful characters who all congregate at their local hall.

Pam explains: “Hope Hall isn’t specifically a church hall, it’s a memorial hall. But actually it’s a very British thing that even quite small villages or towns have a hall which is a community centre and the point of contact for all the life that goes on around it. I found that quite interesting, especially once I realised from all the times I’ve stood in corridors in halls like that or in churches and seen all the various clubs, the timetables for the halls.