Little Shelford Memorial Hall

"In 1918 a small wooden recreation room (seen above) was brought from the Whittlesford military hospital and placed upon the site of these old cottages and has been named Freda Room. A larger permanent room will soon be added and named Victory Hall. William Gall used to make asphalte and disinfecting fluids in his yard. He built a very tall brick chimney there but the smoke and the odours from the asphalte manufacture were so distressing to the whole parish that it was bought by J.F.Eaden esquire."

From A Record of Shelford Parva by Fanny Wale P40. It was written around 1920.

The hall was brought from Whittlesford by horse and wagon. A collection was made around the village to finance the venture. The original hall was erected in 1925 in memory of the men who fell in the Great War. It was enlarged in 1932 by C.F.Clay of Manor Farm in remembrance of his son, R.V.Clay.

Before the second world war, a mobile cinema came to the village hall where black and white films were shown, including many cowboy films. Mr Hurst from Beech Close remembers winning half a dozen spoons and a water set in 1935 at one of these film shows – he still has the spoons.

There was a large television in the hall so that the whole village could watch the Coronation in 1953. Mugs were distributed for the children.

The Memorial Hall was demolished in 1999.

In the Second World War, dances were held in the village hall every Wednesday and Saturday for the soldiers and villagers. These were organised by Betty Harris of Cintra House and the band was Dina’s Dance Band. (These dances continued after the war when the Walker Brothers played the music.) The dance floor was ruined after the soldiers danced on it in their boots.

Soldiers’ boots were repaired in the Committee (Back) Room.

During part of the war, the hall was requisitioned for the troops.

A soldier let his rifle off in the Committee room and the bullet went through the snooker table. The scar underneath the table where the hole was filled can still be seen.

Compensation was received for damage caused during the war.