Summer's Out at Hope Hall

by Pam Rhodes

  “Why don’t we all get settled up in the balcony lounge?” suggested Kath, as Maggie walked past carrying a huge tray of coffee, biscuits and cakes.

  “And I’ll wait for Peter Radcliffe,” suggested Trevor, who for years had never known the Council Public Relations Officer to arrive on time for any meeting they’d both attended.

  Quarter of an hour later, coffee served, cakes and biscuits devoured, the committee was complete and ready for business.

  “Right,” started Kath, “let’s run through the order of the day. The service of thanksgiving and commemoration will start at the church at eleven o’clock sharp. So, what time do we need our congregation to be in their seats before the dignitaries arrive?”

  “Well, the choir and orchestra will be there rehearsing from nine thirty onwards,” replied James, “and I think the general public should be in place by ten forty-five – fifteen minutes before the start of the service.”

  “And your school choir and performers, Ellie? What time should we expect them?”

  “Oh, we’ll be there from nine thirty as well.”

  “And they’ll be in costume?” asked the historian, Michael Sayward.

  Ellie smiled in Brenda Longstone’s direction. “They certainly will, mainly thanks to the generosity and sewing skills of some of Brenda’s WI ladies. They’ve produced some wonderful outfits for the children.”

  Brenda brushed aside the compliment, businesslike as ever. “In trying to recreate the look of a hundred years ago,” she began, “we have the advantage of hearing from our most senior members, some of whom were born less than twenty years after Hope Hall’s foundation year of 1920. Those ladies have been very instrumental in advising us on the styles, materials, footwear and jewellery that would have been in common use at the time. In fact, the ladies remember a great deal about the fashion of those times, because at least three of them still have coats and dresses that belonged to their mothers. They simply couldn’t bear to part with them, although they have been kind enough to lend some of those original items to our staff members who will be with the children and organizing our Centenary Pageant for the occasion.”

  “The school choir will be wearing those costumes throughout our pageant, which will end with a medley of 1920s songs,” added Ellie. “James and I were discussing whether the children should be kept out of sight before the performance. Their costumes are going to look so striking that we feel it would make the best impact if we kept them in the vestry until they’re due to sing. They won’t have to wait long, because after the initial welcome from you, James, a hymn and then a few brief words from the mayor and the chairman of the council, Broad Street Upper School’s performance will be the next item.”

  “Have all the VIP guests replied to their invitations, Kath?” asked Trevor.

  “Well, Peter can bring us up to date with the council invitations, but as you know, we’ve tried to invite not just key members of our present-day community here, but to concentrate on the older people in the area who have memories of this hall and its role over the years. We’ve invited all the members of our Grown-ups’ Lunch Club here at Hope Hall, as well as residents of local care homes and organizations for the elderly. Very few of them are younger than eighty, and several are in their nineties, so I think they should be thought of as the most important people taking part on the day. Good Neighbours transport has been arranged for them all and seating allocated for them conveniently near to the aisles, with the best possible view of the proceedings.

  “That means they’ll be near the toilet facilities too,” Ellie added with a smile.

  “As you know, three of them will be saying lines of prayer during the service,” added James, “and one of them, Mrs Alice Mendrake, is a regular member of our congregation. She’s ninety-seven years old with a memory that’s still as sharp as a razor, so her contribution should be very moving.”

  “Peter has the list of council VIP guests,” continued Kath. “Are we still likely to get the full complement of mayor and two local councillors? And have we had a definite acceptance from the high sheriff yet? He did show an interest in coming, if his schedule allowed it.”

  “Yes, the mayor and the councillors are confirmed,” replied Peter, checking his list. “The high sheriff has agreed to come. The Lord Lieutenant, unfortunately, is otherwise engaged that day and has sent his apologies.”

  Kath looked over at Brneda as she asked: “And about the decoration of the church and the hall for the occasion – Brenda, I believe your WI ladies have the floral arrangements well in hand?”

  “Indeed,” replied Brenda. “My floristry committee has everything planned and organized. We could do with a cash float so that we can place our order for the blooms in good time and make sure we are equipped on the day with all we need at the best possible price.”

  “Let me have your estimate,” agreed Trevor, “and I’ll get that sorted straight away.”

  “And Roger,” continued Kath, “your Rotary colleagues were such a wonderful help during our Easter Monday Centenary Fayre. I’m hoping they’ll be able to work their magic again this time.”

  “Certainly,” smiled Roger. “We all really enjoyed that Easter Fayre. We’ll help out with staging, microphones, stewarding and anything else you need. Just keep me in the loop.”

  “Of course. I do hope, Roger, that both you and Brenda will tell your members how much we appreciate their enthusiasm and practical help in making this occasion so special. And Ray here, who is in charge of the fabric of Hope Hall, and Shirley, who I think you all remember from the Easter Fayre, will both be on hand whenever necessary to facilitate anything you require or want to check here at the hall, either on the day or beforehand. And Maggie, I’ve no doubt you have everything in hand for the buffet our guests are invited to enjoy at the hall after the foundation stone ceremony!”

  “Even though it’s technically lunchtime,” answered Maggie, “I’m thinking of making it a really elegant high tea, with savouries, salads and sandwiches served at each table, as well as patisserie cakes, pastries and cream scones, with endless pots of tea and coffee served in china cups and saucers.”

  “I love your baking, Maggie,” sighed Trevor. “Thank you for bringing along some samples this morning. They’re delicious.”

  Everyone laughed as Trevor helped himself to another creamy cupcake, sinking his teeth into the delicacy with an expression of sheer delight.

  “Well, as enticing as it is to concentrate on what we’re all going to eat on the day,” laughed Kath, “let’s just go over our plans for when the church ceremony is over. That’s the point at which the whole congregation is invited to walk across to Hope Hall for the rededication of the original foundation stone and the unveiling of the new one. You’ll lead that part of the ceremony, won’t you, James?”

  “Certainly. Who do you have in mind to do the unveiling?”

  “May I make a suggestion here?” It was the historian Michael Sayward who spoke. “I wonder if we should ask Celia Ainsworth. It was the Ainsworth family that owned the land on which the hall stands, and who also provided half of the funds needed to build the hall. The rest, as you know, was raised by the local community themselves. But Celia’s great-grandfather Reginald was the owner of the mill here, which provided a lot of work for people in this area, especially just after the Great War when industry had to be built up again so men returning from the trenches could provide for their families. He was a good-hearted man who believed it was his Christian duty to make sure his employees had decent houses to live in and healthy opportunities for community life and activities. Hence his decision to build Hope Hall.”

  “Celia Ainsworth?” queried Kath. “Was that the lady I met with you in the foyer the other week?”

  “That’s right,” confirmed Trevor. “We’re all trustees for the Money Advice Centre, and we had our annual trustees meeting that morning. As usual, she was with Richard. They’re always together, those two. You know, Richard Carlisle – remember the C
arlisle Trust that gave us a generous grant at the beginning of the year?”

  Richard Carlisle, Kath thought. Her “perfect stranger” at the Sea Cadets the other evening. She remembered him saying he was a widower, although it seemed he now had a new partner in Celia. He’d found happiness after the sad loss of the wife he plainly adored.

  “You think Celia would be best for this occasion, rather than Douglas?” asked James.

  “Well, since Douglas took over from his father as CEO of Ainsworth Mill,” replied Trevor, “he’s become a bit of a jet-setter, with business and public relations meetings all over this country and abroad. Mind you, he’s never really been someone who wanted to involve himself much with community life. Of course, he does have a very accomplished board of directors who’ve overseen the business and now that company is one of the largest and most popular breakfast cereal producers in the country.”

  “We could ask him,” Michael replied, “but even if he had time, I’m not sure this would be of interest to Douglas. He’s really not the sentimental type. It’s common knowledge that there’s no love lost between Douglas and his sister. Celia’s got a very good instinct for facts and figures, which is why she’s now the director of the multi-million pound pension fund at Apex Finance. That’s a huge responsibility, which she handles very well, but I think she would have liked to have had more influence in her own family business.”

  “Well, that’s just not the tradition in the Ainsworth family,” explained Trevor. “The business has always been inherited by the oldest son. Douglas may be two years younger, but he’s fiercely jealous of Celia’s natural business acumen and her flair for financial matters. As a family member, she’s on the board of Ainsworth’s, of course, but Douglas won’t let her have any say in its operation or future plans.”

  “And I really don’t think he has much interest in anything to do with the past, even within his own family,” added Michael. “It’s the future he has his eye on. I’ve tried to engage him with a few local history projects that have involved the activities of his family members in years gone by, but he’s basically told me to go away.”

  “So you think Celia may be quite sympathetic to what we’re celebrating here at Hope Hall?” asked Kath.

  “Yes, I think she would be,” replied Trevor thoughtfully. “In fact, I’m sure she’d be delighted to be asked.”

  “Should I write to invite her, or should you have a quiet word with her, Trevor, as you already know her through the various committees you both sit on?”

  “Yes, let me ask her. I’ll call round and see her later this week. I think she’d be pleased to come if she’s free, and she’ll have a real sense of occasion for the whole event.”

  “Good!” said Kath, quickly scanning the list of matters to be discussed. “Brian, I think that brings us to you. The ceremony here at the hall not only rededicates the original foundation stone, but also commends the plaque we’ve planned to mark the hall’s hundredth birthday. How are your plans coming along for the new plaque itself?”

  Brian Mack pulled out a piece of paper from his file and laid it on the table in front of them. “The stonemason is ready to start work, assuming we are now completely agreed on this wording:

  ‘FOR ALL WHO HAVE ENJOYED HOPE HALL

  THROUGHOUT ITS 100 YEARS,

  AND FOR ALL WITHIN ITS WALLS IN YEARS TO COME,

  WE ASK YOUR BLESSING, LORD.

  28TH AUGUST 2020’

  Do we still approve that wording?”

  Everyone around the table nodded in agreement.

  “And are we still putting a time capsule behind the plaque? How’s the content coming along?”

  “The children have done some wonderful work on the plaque,” explained Ellie, “and we’ve chosen four of their pieces to be included. They talk about the town, their school, their families and what they appreciate most about the hall. Those children will be reading out their contributions during the ceremony as the new stone is laid.”

  “And the council is preparing a commemorative programme of our Centenary Day events. Isn’t that right, Peter? A copy of that will go into the time capsule too.”

  “That’s all ready. We’re putting in quite a lot of paperwork relating to specific plans, decisions or events in the area, and a memory stick that explains and illustrates how the town has developed since Hope Hall was built. We plan to place it all in a metal tube so everything will remain in pristine condition for the moment it’s opened, probably a hundred years from now.”

  “And the old foundation stone?” asked Kath. “That’s beginning to look a bit jaded, so I know you mean to give that a bit of a facelift before the big day.”

  “That’s the plan,” answered Brian. “We do need to get some basic renovation work done on it before we replace it on the wall next to our new commemorative plaque.”

  “And of course,” interrupted Michael, “there’s every chance the community which laid that stone a century ago also left some artefacts inside for us to open now. I’m assuming some of you would like to be present when Brian’s team takes the old stone out to see if there is anything in there?”

  There was enthusiastic agreement all round, and diaries came out as discussion followed to decide a date at the start of July for the removal of the old foundation stone.

  “Well, that will certainly be something to look forward to,” commented Kath. “Does anyone have any other questions for us to consider today?”

  Once they had all agreed that the meeting had covered everything, the group members gathered up their notes, said their goodbyes and started down the stairs – except for Trevor, who helped himself to one more strawberry cream scone before he too got up and followed them.

  “There she is!”

  Terezka was the first to spot Mariana waiting for them on the steps of the main entrance to Hope Hall. Mili had to quicken her pace to keep up with her room-mate as Terezka strode off ahead of her.

  “We are late?” asked Mili as the three girls met up.

  “I like to get here early,” smiled Mariana, “so I can spend a bit of time with Carlos before the band starts playing. I’ve saved us a table right near the front.”

  Glancing over to the stage just in case she could catch a glimpse of Andy, the keyboard player, Mili saw that the band’s equipment was already set up and ready to use.

  “Carlos is up there?” she asked.

  “Well, the rest of the band are, but I couldn’t find him. I think he must be running a bit late.”

  Remembering what Andy had said in the café about Carlos leaving all the setting up of equipment to the other band members so he could make a big entrance, Mili bit her tongue and said nothing.

  “Come on,” beckoned Terezka. “Let’s grab that table before someone else does!”

  As she walked through the gathering crowd, Mili was pleasantly surprised by how popular these once-a-month dance nights at Hope Hall seemed to be. Andy had warned them to get there by seven fifteen at the latest, ready to sweep in through the door the moment it opened. He’d explained that a DJ played a good selection of disco music between seven thirty and eight fifteen, before the band took over for its first set, which lasted an hour. At a quarter past nine, a buffet was served while disco music played for forty-five minutes, and then the band performed the second set between ten and eleven. After this people dawdled and chatted until finally the hall was cleared about half past eleven.

  Taking a seat near the wall, Mili scanned the rest of the crowd. It was a mixed group, from middle-aged couples and even older, right down to people of her own age. In fact, she wondered if she might be the youngest there. The men were mostly casually dressed, although some of the women were surprisingly glamorous, with sparkling tops and very high heels for dancing. Mili looked down at the customary jeans she’d teamed with her favourite blouse from home, which was hand-embroidered with flowers across the shoulders and neckline. She was suddenly embarrassed to be wearing something so obviously old-fashioned an
d home-made, and tried to slide even further back into her seat so she could hide in the shadow of the wall.

  “Mili, you came!”

  She looked up to see Andy coming down the stairs at the side of the stage and heading towards her. Her stomach knotted with nerves. They had shared several lovely conversations in the café, but this felt different. Perhaps he would take one look at how unfashionable she was and wish he’d not invited her. She hesitated as he made his way over to her chair, and it seemed he picked up on her reticence, because he simply sat down on the seat next to hers so that their shoulders and knees almost touched.

  “I’m so glad you made it,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll have to get all the notes right now!”

  She smiled then in the warmth of his welcome. “I know you get notes right.”

  “Ah, but how do you know? You’ve only ever heard me talking in the café about playing the keyboard. Perhaps I can’t play at all.”

  “No matter!” she laughed. “I’m sure I like it.”

  “Well,” he said, leaning his shoulder closer to hers. “It matters to me that you do like it. I want to make a good impression.”

  She looked puzzled as she tried to remember what the word “impression” meant.

  “It means,” he said softly, his gaze holding hers, “that I like you, and I hope that after tonight you might like me too.”

  Unable to find the words to describe the flutter of excitement that coursed through her, Mili simply nodded and grinned at him.

  Two other girls joined their table and were greeted by Terezka and Mariana, who clearly knew them well.

  “Those two always come,” explained Andy as he followed her gaze. “Jayne, with the long blonde hair, is married to the drummer, Nigel; and the other girl is Ali, Graham’s girlfriend. He’s very talented. He plays the guitar and sings really well – when Carlos lets him, that is…”