If you are a hall user...

Now that the club is open again, please note that parking in front of the hall is for the use of Sports & Social club members so please avoid parking here. The hall is run by the Chiseldon Air Scouts Group and to reduce costs we use community volunteers. No one will clean up after you so please leave the hall as you would wish to find it and remove all rubbish.

 If you book the hall you will have the use of the hall, kitchen with cooker, microwave, ‘fridge, kettle & tea urn. There are 5 rectangular folding tables available in the front entrance, and 12 round tables if needed. Each table can seat 6 and there are plenty of chairs. The hall is about 9.3 x 12 meters with a max height of 3.5M.  You will need to bring your own tea towels, music, media, projector & screen if needed. 

 We are open now, and the heating is working again. Use the form above for bookings or enquiries. 

Covid19 update: The hall remains CLOSED to everyone including other hirers. The cost of cleaning is too great to make it viable to open (*assuming hirers are not taking on the cost of the extra cleaning). 

This is reviewed regularly.

Locked-up for lockdown.

The hall is closed as part of the measures to help control the COVID19 pandemic. 

For any enquiries please email 

callyhall(at)freelists.org 

Stay safe.  

Handing Over

It's time to hand over the hall keys, files and booking records to others.

After over ten years of operating, maintaining and taking bookings for the hall, it's time to hand over these tasks to others in the village.  1st Chiseldon Air Scout Group continues to hold the lease and will continue to manage the hall, but Pete and Leo are handing over from this evening.

• Hall bookings?  Please contact; Neil Richardson on 07467 353646

From negotiating a 99 year lease with the owners, to Honda sharing a group of lovely people for three months to help with refurbishment, to recovering the ladies toilets from an impromptu foam party - its been fun and quite a journey.

One of the hardest things I learnt to do during my IT career was to be strong enough to 'let my baby go'.  We hand the hall over, safe in the knowledge that the hall is on good hands and that Chiseldon village has benefited from our efforts and that makes it all worth while.

Just one more thing to say; thank you to my lovely wife Leo for her efforts with bookings and supporting me when I ran the Cub pack / Scout Group.  She has been amazing.

Peter Snipe 17th December 2019

The Calley Memorial Hall continues to operate successfully.

We have been reminded that those using GPS / SatNavs would appreciate a post code to find the hall, so here it is:

Draycott Road, Chiseldon, Swindon, Wiltshire SN4 0LS

To book the hall, please speak to Mrs Leo Snipe on 01793 741164

Calley Memorial Hall - mini update

It has been some time since I updated the blog.  The hall continues to be in operation with the emphasis on making the hall available to the community as cheaply as possible and operating on a not for profit basis.

There is confusion about our contact number. To book the Calley Memorial Hall, please continue to use 01793 741164.

We now have a new kitchen (supplied free of charge) by Howdens (https://www.howdens.com/).

Chiseldon Village Memorial Hall {search term}

Just had a phone call from a local councillor saying he was getting telephone calls asking to book the Calley Memorial Hall.  Looks like he is the trustee for the CHISELDON VILLAGE MEMORIAL HALL trust fund and hence search engines are directing hits his way...  By mentioning this here, we should start to divert some of those calls back to our number; 01793 741164.


Just come over from the hall. Another kids party in full swing.  Loo's cleaned and all spic and span ready for them to have a great event...

Boilerjuice.com community code

Please consider using Community code 35015 when ordering from Boilerjuice.com - Chiseldon Scouts and the hall will benefit at no cost to you.

Removed the old toilets to the tip this morning. The mens loo's and windows look great (thanks to Mick Jones the builder). Inside the kitchen the new windows look clean and bright. With so much old wooden frame removed the kitchen feels much brighter.

I went up in the loft this afternoon. The old 'Fortic' hercules immersion heater has a hole in it. I dont think it can be repaired so we are on the lookout for a replacement. I reckon some self help will get the price of hot water in the sink down to very low levels. Having been looking on ebay, an alternative is instant hot water units. In any case, I am on the case and am actively looking for a solution.

Pete

New Windows and toilets installed

Its been a while since I posted an update... Having bought glass to replace a broken window, I realised that the frame was too far gone... A few mails to members of the Scout Exec and I had approval to get them replaced.

The kitchen now has double glazed windows that don't leak cold air into the building. The gents toilets North wall windows have all been replaced with double glazed units that have air vents included.

In the previously dire gents cubicles we now have two brand new low level toilets. This is a significant upgrade from the one loo and cisterns that were installed in 1933!

Sustrans were in the building for a meeting today, I hope the plumber didn't disturb them too much.

The hall continues to be used by the community and we continue to see parties, slimmers, dog handlers, meetings and other events - in addition to Scout users in the hall.

I continue to aspire to hot water being installed but the last quote was way too much. I'll keep working this one... On the outside, we still want to put new windows and doors on the front of the hall. Lets raise some more money and position to make it happen.

Pete

PS: Bookings can be made on 01793 741164 (ask for Leo).

Into our third year of operation

During last week, a Cub broke a window in the mens toilets. New glass was obtained on Friday and it was fittd this (Sunday) morning. I would say it is as good as new, but the frame is rotten and I think its time we replaced the side (Mens loos and kithen) windows. I have called Mick (our tame builder) and asked him to come and quote us.

In September, it was two years since we re-opened the hall. Income continues to cover running costs and the village is really using the hall.

When I was cleaning up after fitting the glass, I cleaned out the drain below the window. It was full of organic material from the roof. I can't get over how much can accumulate in only two years!

Pete

BAU update

A sign of a busy hall is no action on the blog... It's business as usual with busy booking schedule that currently includes some keep fit, puppy training, slimming world, Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, plus party bookings and other uses for the hall.

Operation has been straight forward with only minor things like a broken window to repair (result of a recent family party)...

We don't have too many free slots during weekday evenings but tend of have weekends available for hire. At £12 per hour, this has to the cheapest non-commercial rate around.

Weeds, Ceiling and hall use

The hall is being used every week day with private functions often taking place. For example, last night saw a very enegetic 18th Birthday party.

A Beaver parent approached me about the mens toliet ceiling. He offered to sort it out... I handed the keys to him during the Easter break and came back to a new ceiling - complete with artex! A big thank you to Steve. He did the job at non cost the the hall or the Scout group - magic!

Pete sprayed the outside perimeter of the hall and car park using fluid supplied by Ivor R. That should sort the weeds out!

Ballroom & Latin American Dance

Want to learn to dance?

For fun, fitness or that special occasion
* Ballroom and Latin American dance classes starting locally
* Private Lessons also available

Please contact Amanda Gibson (AISTD) Tel: 07882-882-030
See the World Of Dance website

Structure for new water header tanl fitted

Water tank stand was fitted by Ivor and Pete. Ready for Martin Farmer to apply his plumbing skills...

Mobile Library outside the Calley Memorial Hall

This evening saw the mobile library park in front of the Hall. Great stuff!

This really points to the hall being at the centre of the Chiseldon community.

Happy New Year

Last post of 2010. Happy New Year to all who have enjoyed the hall this year.

Hall funds update

Met with Village Hall Fund trustees this evening. Draft minutes have been issued - which outline conditions for access to £38.5k of village funds. Will share the minutes with the hall management committee when trusees have approved them.

Snowy Saturday Party

We cleared a path through the snow leading to the hall front door, in preparation for yesterdays childrens party. Opening the inner front door brought a wave of warmth, indicating the heating was doing its job.

Yesterdays 5 year olds party looked like a lovely event, with one family pitching up with an indoor basket ball net. The Christmas tree and lighting in the hall add an extra something to atmosphere.

The roof does not have gaps in the snow to betray the fact the heating is working (apart from the air vents at the top of the roof). This suggests that the hall is quite well insulated.

We have table cloths with Molly for cleaning and ironing. With Dan helping with the hall cleaning, operation of the hall is less of an effort and feels sustainable.

MP Surgery today

Robert Buckland MP is holding a sugery in the hall this evening from 5:30pm until 8:30pm. Please come along and raise any issues you may have.