Neuadd Goffa Llangynog Memorial Hall
MAKING IT HAPPEN (1933 ---- 1937) BY LOWRI ROBERTS
At a publlc meeting held in the Council School on Friday, 22"d March 1933, the people of Llangynog decided to build a Holl for their village. ,The meeting was choired by the Rev. R Price Hughes and the officials of the first Hall Committee were appointed as follows:
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Chairman: Prof R Richards
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Joint Secretaries – Rev R P Hughes and J M Evans
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Joint Treasurers – Mr J Edwards and Mr J E Jones
In subsequent meetings, a number sub-comnittees were established, including a Tea and Social Committee, a Finance Committee and a Building Committee. Also collectors were appointed to solicit subscriptions from local residents towards the cost of building the new Holl.
At the meeting held on Friday 7th April 1933, a decision was made to write the minutes in Welsh, which continued until 1967, when a new secretory was appointed. Ironically, it was in 1967 that the first Welsh Language Act was passed, giving the Welsh language increased status!
An Entertainment Committee was established, which included members of the Male Voice Choir, to arrange events to raise money towards the Hall. The first event arranged was a Concert by the Male Voice Choir either before the Powys Eisteddfod in June or shortly after the Eisteddfod. Many other events, concerts and dramas were organised to raise money towards the Hall. These included a concert by Mr Davies, Uanrhaeadr and his party on Friday 22nd September 1933, jumble sales, a Bazaar at the Council School on July 14" 1934, a concert by Mr Alun Jones and his party in May 1936, a Sports and Fete in 1936 organised by Mr H Richardson, West Quarry.
A long lasting tradition was established in the Entertainment Committee’s meeting on the 21st April 1933, when it was agreed to organized tea on the day of the Flower Show. Many groups and individuals gave grants and donations towards the Hall. These included a £30 donation from Lord Davies of Llandinam, a £20 donations from Mr Clement Davies. Also subscriptions were collected from many local people.
In a meeting held on the 5th July 1935, Mr J Alwyn Lloyd FR/BA, Cardiff, was appointed as architect for the Hall, and he was requested to draw up a number of plans for the committee to consider. The building contract was advertised in 1936 and the contract was given to Mr Thomas Evans, Oswestry, for the sum of £1450.
The foundation stone was laid on the 17 of May 1937, by Mrs B B Bevan. Mr and Mrs Bevan had donated the slates for the roof, and the land was donated by the late Captain Gough. The occasion was reported in detail by the Oswestry Advertizer. It mentions that the Hall was "constructed almost entirely of local materials" and that "most of the villagers have already contributed towards the fund, and a number of local men are giving their labour voluntarily". The Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony was also a memorial ceremony to the men of Llangynog who fell in the First World War, and their names were inscribed on the ten memorial tablets that were also laid that day. In hindsiight it is poignant to note that those present also hoped that there would never be another war to cause such loss of life. It was mentioned that the people of Llangyno had to use the school to hold their activities, so the New Hall would be a fantastic asset for all of the residents. Mr John Huges was the donor of the foundation stone, and it was to have been laid on March the 27th, but a blizzard held up the evening of the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony.
Llangynog Mixed Choir Members circa 1949
Mrs Bevan laying the Foundation Stone
Although the rules had been drafted at previous meetings during the meeting held on the 16" of June 1937 the final rules for the Memorial Hall were drawn up. It’s interesting to note that smoking was prohibited in public meetings, 70 years before the smoking ban.
It was agreed to open the Memorial Hall on Saturday 23rd of October, 1937, and a comprehensive account was given of this event in the Oswestry Advertizer. The Memonal Hall was opened by Sir Percy Watkins, and two tablets were unveiled; one to the memory of the Llangynog men who fell in the war, and the other recording the names of the donor of the land, the architect, the contractor and the sculptor. The Memorial Hall was built on a site given by the late Captain W H J Gough, Llechweddygarth, and it comprises a porch main Hall (64 x 30 feet) with a stage and equipped for a cinematograph with a projecting room and screen, a library,
kitchen, ladies and gentlemen’s bathrooms and lavatories with hot and cold water supplies. Its approximate value is £2,000, but owing to the generosity of local donors, the actual cost was £1,400. The windows were the gift of Sir Valentine Crittall. The local unemployed people's voluntary work included the excavation and preparation of the foundation, and the chippings for the path and the concrete used in the work came from local quarries. Inside the Hall, immediately over the antique fireplace are the memorial tablets,set in old oak framing, bought from old buildings in the locality. On one piece appears the initials of Cadwaladr Roberts,
the builder of the old house, and the date 1665, whilst on the other is the date 1616. The sculpture work on the tablets and the stones outside are the work of Mr John Hughes, the donor.
The opening of the Hell marks the culmination of the strenuous efforts of the local committee omittee:
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President Mr Robert Richards MP
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Secretary Rev R Pryce
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Treasurer Mr J Edmunds
A large amount of the cost of the building was met by subscriptions, to which the Misses Davies, Llandinam, subscribed £400. A grant was also made by the National Council of Social Services.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Mr Robert Richards, who expressed thanks to all the donors. The Committee was very grateful to the late Captain Gough who had given the land, and he was glad to see that his eldest son, Mr Hugh Gough, had sufficienty recovered from his illness to be present. Mr J W Davies had presented the stage curtains. The Ladies Committee had given the window curtains. Sir Percy Watkins had been responsible for keeping them in touch with the National Council for Social Services from whom they had received a grant. Sir Percy referred to the tremendous difficulties which had been surmounted in providing a Hall and he appealed to the people of Llangynog to make the best use of it.
Mr Thomas Evans called upon Mr Clement Davies MP to unveil the War Memorial after which ceremony a silent minute was observed. The remaining tablet was unveiled by Mr Hugh Gough and in calling. upon him to do so the Rev R P Hughes said that he had spoken to the late Captain Gough about erecting a village hall. He had approached him originally for land for a church but perhaps Captain Gough had taken a larger view of things than he had. It is believe locally that a church originally stood on the ground where the hall now stands.
The Library was declared open by Miss Marion Jones, Montgomeryshire, and she hoped that the people of the village would find recreations in the Hall and in the library refreshments for their spirits and information for their minds. Mr Evan Evans unveiled the clock which he had presented to the Hall. Afterwards, trees were planted in the grounds.
