Water Orton groups to lose valuable community facility

‘70 Years of Drama…
A Message From Our Members’

Having entertained local people on a continuous basis since our first production way back in 1937, this season sees us celebrating our 70th anniversary. Presenting plays can be a complex business so to have reached this milestone is a remarkable achievement. In 1937 when the village school headmaster Mr Seden suggested to villager and theatre lover Bill Difford that perhaps he should form a drama group to entertain the local people, could he ever have envisaged that the group would still flourishing in the next century?

Throughout the years, particularly at the time of our formation, the group has faced many challenges and problems. In one form and another they have been met and resolved. However most of you will be aware that we now face the greatest challenge of all, a challenge that threatens our very existence.

We have been informed by the Vicar of Water Orton that the parish hall is to close permanently at the end of this year. The loss of the hall will be crippling for our Company and our future is now in question.

The hall is not only the cultural home of the Company of the Curtain, but has been the centre of village social activity for generations. What of the other hall users? The activity groups, the weddings, the parties, the jumble sales, all traditional gatherings and events synonymous with village life. They, like us have been told to make alternative arrangements. Maybe some can but for a theatre group the task is not easy. Water Orton is our village, our home.

The building has been in a poor state of repair for some time, a number of faults having been left unattended. Repair costs, insufficient use and therefore low income is quoted as the reason for closure. But would a refurbished building attract more users and generate even more income? The business model is simple; the desire to act upon it is something quite different.

We are in support of the many villagers who are telling us that they feel there is a social responsibility on behalf of the owners to rethink their strategy and retain the hall for use by those for whom it was intended, the people of Water Orton. Having not even been offered the opportunity to discuss the serious implications resulting from their announcement, we can only conclude that the enthusiasm for genuine village pastimes displayed by us and hundreds of audience members is clearly not shared by the owners of the hall.

People may accuse us of being biased and demanding because our chosen pastime needs a stage and an auditorium. Our response is straight forward:

We are biased, we are demanding and we are also fiercely proud of our continuing contribution to village life – 70 years proud.