history


  From World War I - MEMORIAL INSTITUTE to
CAFE ELEVEN and ART GALLERY

By Yoland

In 1921, the year our unique War Memorial was dedicated to the men of the village lost in World War I, plans were drawn up for Mr. W.H. Gittins of Hall Farm at The Cross to build a small hall as a further memorial to the fallen of Ruyton XI Towns.

The site had been used as a hardware shop and then a photographic studio by Frances James (Frank) Cocks, who lived across the road at Riversdale.  Frank took most of the portraits and weddings in the village, but he was also an inventor and patented fairground amusements.

Unfortunately, it took 15 years for the new hall to come to fruition.  When Mr. Gittins` Memorial Institute opened in 1936 between the three village pubs, the Talbot, Powis Arms and Admiral Benbow, it would not serve alcohol, was for men only and had a billiard table.

In a newspaper cutting sent to me by Ruth Corfield, now proprietor of Café Eleven, the British Legion had the use of a room for some years past, presumably sharing Mr. Cocks` studio.  The trustees of the new Institute represented the village and the Legion who would still be able to use it, as long as the branch was in existence.  The trustees were Chairman, Major Threlfall from the Manor at Shotatton, Mr. W.H. Gittins Vice Chairman, Mr. W.A. Riddlesworth, village school master and secretary of the British Legion, and Mr. Cocks was Secretary.  The Memorial Institute was opened by Col E.G. Jones of Ruyton Hall and dedicated to the memory of King George V who had died on 20th January that year.

 As it was not attached to the church, the hall probably attracted both drinkers and abstainers.  The story in the Gittins family is that the men used to let Mr. Gittins win at billiards so that he would keep putting money in the electric meter!

By 1974, all the original trustees had died, leaving the hall with no management.  Hence a public meeting was held in the Village Hall, which was, and still is, a charity, and the Parish Council became Custodian Trustees owning the freehold. 

The Women`s Institute

The first meeting of the WI in the Memorial Hall was in April 1952.  I remember in the 1970s one of us had to go down after lunch to light the fire, which I think Jean Rolfe would top up until 7pm when we hoped it had taken the chill off the room.

Some interesting facts have emerged about the Memorial Institute, starting with the handover to Ruyton XI Towns Parish Council.

In 1974, when the original trustees of the Memorial Hall had died and Rev. Crewes of the Independent Chapel at Park Gates was left with various legal documents for the building.  In March, Mr. Crewes told the Parish Council that Shropshire Congregational Union were putting together a document transferring the management of the hall to Ruyton XI Towns Parish Council.  When this was approved, Mr. Tom Roberts of Bridge End, Brownhill and Mr. John Gittins of Hall Farm were appointed trustees.  At the same meeting the Parish Council approved plans to build toilets in the hall.

The first job was connecting water to the Memorial Hall and the installing toilets, estimated cost, £300, with the Women`s Institute, as main users of the hall, making a reasonable contribution.   In February 1975, a copy of the new Deed of Trusteeship was deposited in the Parish Chest in the church.  In April 1975 Mrs. M. Lycett, treasurer of the Memorial Hall, purchased two portable gas heaters for £110.00  

In 1977, the Queen and Prince Philip`s Silver Jubilee year, the Parish Council and a group of volunteers put on an exhibition of Ruyton XI Towns village history in the Memorial Hall.  I remember the church silver was brought out of the bank and put on show.  May Roberts lent her Girl Guide Uniform and was very cross that it went missing, never to be seen again.

The Jubilee was a big event in Ruyton, with a carnival and a Children`s Decorated Hat competition.

Over the next 4 years there were several improvements made to the hall and greater use was being made by various organisations.

Parish Review 1989

This was a initiative, started by Rev. Robin Bradbury after the shock of the Lockerbie air disaster the previous year.  How would Ruyton XI Towns cope if we were visited by some disaster?  A committee was formed and the attached poster send out via the Parish Newsletter plus posters and flyers round the village.

On Friday 6th October 1989 a meeting was held in the Village Hall and presentations given to point out the importance of recording our village at this time.

Chrissie Niddrie-Davies, teacher at The Corbet school:

The Future of our Village: Amenities, Housing, the Environment

 

Garry Capstick, Manager of Express Dairies:- 

Our Emergency Services, Could we cope with a Lockerbie on our doorstep?

 

Yoland Brown:- resident and local historian:-

Your part in creating Ruyton`s Village Archive

 

The following day, the Memorial Hall was open for people to bring in their memorabilia and other useful information which was then recorded.   Some of what Chrissy was talking about was subsequently ignored, such as new building on the Brownhill.   Gary made a list of useful contacts in case of a `Lockerbie`, such as residents with medical knowledge and available tractors.

Chrissie was able to borrow a scanner from the Corbet School, so we could copy the many items people brought in and these were stored on my computer and are frequently referred to when writing articles for my history website https://www.eleventowns.uk/history.html

More improvements to the toilets in 1995 but the (Old) Ruytonians did not think they needed a ramp at the entrance, they were obviously fit enough.

In April 1999, an interesting dilemma was expressed at the Village Hall committee meeting “If a public meeting was required, it would be difficult to arrange as the Memorial Hall has a capacity of 35 (sic) and the Village Hall cannot be used as it does not have disabled access”  Interestingly, this did not worry anyone when we had the Taste of the 1960s and the Taste of the Victorian events in 2005 & 2006, when you could not squeeze another body in the Village hall.  One lady who had danced to Livin` History in the 1970s was carried up the stairs in her wheelchair to see & hear her favourite Ruyton band.

In the early 2000s, once the Victoria Room had been restored, it was obvious that the WI would move their meetings to this very congenial venue.

In November 2009, the meeting of the Village Hall Committee “was working to trace the missing legal documentation relating to the Memorial Hall” It seems nobody remembered it was minuted in February 1975 “A copy of the new Deed of Trusteeship was deposited in the Parish Chest in the church”.

2004 Heritage Open Day Exhibition

In 2004, a start was made on preparations for celebrating the granting of Ruyton`s Borough Charter in 1308.  It was decided that a good way to get people interested in the history of the village where they lived was to have a local history exhibition. Appeals went out in the Parish newsletter and posters round the village asking people to offer items and memorabilia, and a very successful exhibition was held in the Memorial Hall on 11th September 2004 as part of Oswestry Heritage Open Days.

2005 Village Home Front Exhibition

The following year, 50 years after the end of the war, it seemed a good idea to organise an exhibition in the Memorial Hall, showing what life was like for people living in a village like ours during the Second World War.  It was again, very popular and, of course, there were still people alive in the village who had experienced those times.

The Youth Club

In February 2011 Colin Case, Chairman of the Parish Council, started a Youth Club in the Memorial Hall, assisted by his wife Linda and Ros Slowley.  Colin had got to know all the Ruyton children since he started the Broadplace in 2006. The Club ran for two years with support and equipment from Shropshire Council, including twin-deck CD players for music sessions. The club closed when the young people grew up and moved on.

2014 Café Eleven

By this time the Memorial Hall was far below standards for a public space and, as the WI had moved to the Victoria Room, it was costing more than it was earning for the Village Hall Committee.  When Karen & David Rooney suggested starting a café, the Village Hall committee jumped at the idea. First an electrician had to bring the electrics up to date and install hot water but Karen and Dave did everything else themselves, including turning a dismantled garden shed into the two counters and installing a tiny kitchen. An assortment of chairs, sofas and tables gave the room a comfortable homely feeling.   

Café Eleven opened on September 14th 2014, but it was a slow start, one day Karen only took £7!  But it wasn`t long before the daily takings were averaging £50.  During Covid lockdown, Café Eleven proved a welcome place to visit, within all the rules, and Karen stocked up on basic groceries to save people going to crowded supermarkets.

The Café soon became where people met to chat over coffee and cake or lunch, and where we bought tickets for the RATs pantomime, there were special charity events and even a funeral tea.  With the closure of the village shop, the Café became the hub of the village and a great place for walkers and cyclists to stop for a cuppa.

In the summer of 2024, Karen decided to retire and Ruth Corfield took on the café.  She has always wanted to run an art gallery, so now we have refreshments and culture in the centre of the village.

The Memorial Hall might have started as a place for men only to keep them out of the pubs, but now it is a place for everyone to meet up with friends, have a coffee, even better than Starbucks.  It is also a safe place and a `Rite of Passage` where children can go out for a drink and a slice of cake, without an adult.

 And we still buy our RATS panto tickets from Café Eleven.

Many thanks for help from Colin Case and David Spicer and Karen Rooney for their contributions to this article.

________________________________

Road closed picnic – when the road through the village was closed for work to be done on the Platt Bridge, Colin Case organised a celebration tea party.  The chairs and tables from the Memorial Hall were set out in front of Leaman Garage and everyone brought contributions for the tea.  However, this being England, it started to rain so we all took chairs, tables and refuge back in the Memorial Hall.

Ros Slowley – In 1990 my 3 children held a Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale in the Memorial Hall in aid of Romania. The WI kindly supported them by providing  refreshments. I can't remember how much was raised. They wrote to Blue Peter and each received a coveted Blue Peter badge in return. 

Jenny Baker – Gave slide shows for WI in the Memorial Hall including 3 illustrated talks on her sponsored walk from Land's End to John O'Groats - this must have been 1996 - 1998.  Followed by an exhibition of Jenny`s photographs of the walk at The Grove, all in aid of St. John the Baptist church.

Some snippets from Ruyton Remembered facebook

Fred Jones, founder of Jones Brothers, Weston Rhyn, was bricklayer and laid the date stone on the front of the building.

In 1961 Maureen Penton`s parents had their wedding reception in the Memorial Hall. 

In 1960s, there was a Church Youth Group. 

In 1980s the Mothers and Toddlers met there. 

In the 1980s & 90s Florence Hughes held a regular Charity Bingo and the Old Ruytonians met weekly.

In the 2000s the hall was used as a changing room for the Football club. On one occasion the whole team were locked in the hall.

The Memorial Hall has been, and still is, used as Ruyton`s polling station `since time immemorial`  however long that is!



institute
hods  home front 
The  World War I Memorial Institute in 2024
Charter Celebrations - 2004 Local History Exhibition
 Charter Celebrations - 2005 Village Home Front Exhibition
cafe eleven a
Cafe eleven b

2024 popular Cafe Eleven, manager Ruth Corfield
2024 Cafe Eleven with Ruth`s first Art Exhibition

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