HUTTON HALL
Saturday will be a big day for Hutton. The biggest day for the Hutton Village Hall since 20th May 1931 when the previous building, on the same spot, demolished last year, was officially opened. Major Alexander Trotter, the Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire is doing the honours this time. In 1931 it was the then Lord Home of the Hirsel.
The May 1931 event was religious in tone. Psalms, Readings and hymns. Naturally enough as it was then designated as the Parish Church Hall and was a gift to the Parish from Sir William Burrell whose vast art collection is housed in Glasgow. He was then the owner of Hutton Castle. As a dowry, as it were, he presented the hall with a collection of heavily framed photographic reproductions of Old Masters which used to hang in the hall up to its demolition and are now back in Hutton Castle for safe keeping. I doubt if they will reside again in the new building as they would look out of place in brightly lit modern surroundings although you might put the Mona Lisa peering out of the circular window at the top of the front of the building to give a (false) lead to future seekers of the Holy Grail-see a previous post
At some stage the old hall lost its church label and became the secular village hall run by a trust for all the community. As the church tended to lose its position as the centre of gravity for the local people it made sense to have a village building for church goers and others alike. In 1931 Lord Home described ‘The Church Parish Hall’ as the right title because the church was part of the usual life of the community and ‘the Master’would bless all activities within it. Not so much now as then-except it is very much part of the death in the community-funerals still attracting big congregations.
In opening the building Lord Home also said that the 'hall would be the centre of the social life of the parish…hold meetings of a recreational and amusing character..centre of debate where interchange of opinion would be given.’ What a wonderful vision of future Community Council meeting.
He then waxed gloomily philosophical ‘
we live today in a time of unparalleled difficulty and anxiety , not only in our own nation but throughout the world and the wisest cannot see any break in the clouds... Many must have asked themselves what the reason was for the breaking of the essential rule, which has put the whole world out of gear’Nothing changed then? !931? Without a George Bush or the nice Mr Blair being even a gleam in their parents eyes. Major Trotter will have difficulty in following that in happy uncomplicated 2006 Perhaps he can echo Lord Home’s closing words
:
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In the Hutton district it might be asked what people can do? But he reminded them that if they showed the example of doing right the rest of the County would take notice and so others would follow. Now, there’s a thought
(PS What may have been in Lord Home's mind was the 2.80million unemployed after the great recession of 1929 and the agitations against the then Labour Government. In August 1931 there were a series of hunger marches organised by the Communist Party. But in Berwickshire?)
