History

Coldingham Public Hall was built in the early 1870's as a drill hall for the 1st Berwickshire Artillery Volunteers.

From day one the good people of Coldingham made social use of the drill hall with dances, magic lantern shows and visiting theatre and variety troupes as photographed by John Wood in 1908 when Millers Grand Variety Company played Coldingham Drill Hall.

Such community use prevailed through both world wars, even during the second world war when the hall was used as a factory for war work (textiles), the tables were cleared when the community felt the need to dance, have a show or run whist drives.

Governance of the hall passed to a board of Trustees in 1969.

The objectives of the trust were to provide a building for the purposes of "physical and mental training and recreation and social, moral and intellectual development". This object was to be achieved through the medium of "reading and recreation rooms, library, lectures classes recreation or otherwise" and without distinction of sex or of political, religious or other opinions.

This committee draws for part of its membership on organisations within the village, which make use of the hall.

Since 1969 the trustees have taken responsibility for ensuring the maintenance and upkeep of the hall. Major items of expenditure have included roof repairs and the fitting of an electric heating system to replace a coal fired boiler.

Hall Refurbishment

Plans for the refurbishment of Coldingham Public Hall include the following:

Items shown underlined in red were the subject of the Big Lottery Fund Peoples Millions Voting Competition. Thanks to everyone who voted.

Suspension Truss and Curtaining - To ensure maximum flexibility for the stage area all flats, curtains and lights are suspended from a metal theatrical truss system suspended from the ceiling at the height of the eves. Curtains and their support tracks are mounted at the front, mid, rear and sides of the suspension truss.

Sound and Lighting - A production lighting system is provided within the hall to include an appropriate control system, dimmers, bars, circuits and lights. The operation system chosen for the lighting will require a level of expertise which can be obtained with a minimum of training. A sound system is provided in the hall which meets basic requirements.

Stage and Tables - A modular stage system allows stages to be erected at different heights and in different configurations

Seating - Ten rows of raked telescopic seating are fitted. Fully extended this seating occupies 9.3 metres depth and when fully collapsed will compress into a space of approximately 1.225 metres. The seating operates by an electric motor. The seating will extend from the front of the production box to the floor divided by a central aisle. A further 2 rows of seats can be added at floor level.

Film - The provision of a 5 metre retractable projection screen along with a "bomb bay" ceiling mounted projector enables films to be shown through the DVD / VHS unit installed in the production room. Laptop connections into the projection system are installed in both the performance space and tech box to support conference or workshops.

Refurbishment of the roof - A physical survey of the hall established the need for major roof repairs. These repairs involved stripping the roof, new sarking, re-felting and re-slating.

Insulation - All windows in the hall have been replaced with double glazed sash and case units, which meet planning, conservation and architectural requirements for a Grade Cs listed building. A suspended ceiling with insulation has been installed above the main wooden roof trusses in the ceiling. These trusses, which are a recognised architectural feature of the hall, have remained visible from below.

Heating - Radiant ceiling panels have been installed to provide the primary source of heating for the hall together with slow ceiling mounted fans which will ensure even distribution of heat by convection.

Kitchen - The kitchen will be fitted with worktops, sinks, wall units and a cooker, meeting required health and hygiene standards for hot and cold food production catering.

Functions - Coldingham Hall is now a pleasant, multi purpose community space. Able to change its persona to facilitate weddings, dances, parties, keep fit and sports groups, yet with the push of a few buttons it becomes one of the leading theatre and cinema venues within the Scottish Borders.

Technical Specifications

• Performance space 7.5 m wide by 5.5m deep
• Option on theatre in the round or cabaret style
• 10 Freshness, 8 Profiles and 6 Floods
• Optional 15 amp sockets at rear of stage
• 24 channel programmable lighting desk
• CD, minidisk, mixing desk and power amp speakers
• 5 metre electric projection screen
• Ceiling mounted projector
• Rear projection socket
• Laptop connections @ performance space & tech box
• Sliding glass panels to front of tech box
• Electric window blinds
• 4 x 8’- 0” x 6’- 0” Sico folding stage units
• Dressing room has access stage left and stage right

Coldingham 200 Club

Help raise funds for your Village Hall.

How it Works

For those of you who have not come across a 200 club before, here is a description of the scheme:

The Plan

Up to 200 people buy one or more 'shares' per year. Half the total sum raised goes to Coldingham Village Hall (CVH) and the other half is distributed on a monthly basis to winning 'shareholders' whose share numbers have been drawn.

Membership

The cost of each yearly share is £12 (£1 for each month). Shareholders may hold more than one share.

Shares

Each share is numbered and that number belongs to the member to whom it is allocated for as long as he or she is a paid-up member of the 200 Club.

Prize Draw

All share numbers are included in each monthly draw. The draw is made by at least two hall trustees. Prize money depends on the number of paid-up shareholders that month.

Example

Total amount generated from 200 shares @ £12 per share £2,400

Monthly prizes (1st prize £50, 2nd prize £30, 3rd prize £20) x 12 monthly draws £1,200

Profit for Coldingham Village Hall £ 1,200

You can see that this scheme raises serious money for CVH - and gives you a chance of winning your money back each month - and more.

Your interest in CVH, and your support, is greatly appreciated and we hope you will want to take part in this fund-raising scheme.