Work now seems halted on the village hall for the duration of the festive(?) season. It remains a shell in a hole and Mr T and his men have gone off for a well earned rest. Huttonian met a bloke who was quizzing him about the hall having 'seen it on my way past' Difficult to do that actually given the fact that it is some 150 metres from the main road and not on the way to anywhere except the Old Manse conurbation and Mr R's pheasantry/mill/fishery. So he must have been interested enough to make a wee diversion. The following mini dialogue ensued:
Bloke : Does n't Mr Tand Co specialise in Agricultural Buildings?
Huttonian: Yes
Bloke : The Hall looks like a big cow shed?
H: Early days yet.
B: I Have seen the roof before.
H: Where?
B: On Edington Mill which Mr T and Co dismantled.
H: Your point being?
B.: Is this right for a village Hall. Agricultural Building with recycled roof?
H: More people in the Hutton parish area live in the countryside than in the village so an 'rural agricultural building', if that is what it is, is not inappropriate and the plans have the support of the community. As for the roof, if it really is from Edington Mill that seems a very sensible piece of money saving reuse of expensive materials'
The bloke was not satisfied and it all reminds me of similar remarks made about the proposed hall when there was an idea that it might be built in the field in front of the Kirk. Remarks about agricultural buildings were made then. And no doubt will be made again as work progresses. And it is not that the old building was the most beautiful erection in Berwickshire.
