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A TALE OF TWO CHARITIES

Farringdon Village Hall ('FVH') Charity No 301824 and Massey's Folly Preservation Trust ('MFPT') Charity No 1113790 are two very distinct charities.
FVH was set up in 1960 as a Village Hall charity designed to provide the Village Hall and manage the functions within it.
MFPT was set up as a building preservation trust earlier this year. This was to satisfy the grant funding bodies that there was a charity that was specifically set up to preserve the building.

Why do we need two charities?

MFPT will take responsibility for the preservation of the building for the future.
It is intended that, once the building is restored, FVH will run the activities within the building of a community nature whilst MFPT will be responsible for the trading company that will produce the income to sustain the building and support the community activities.

Membership of both charities is open to all those living in Farringdon or the surrounding area.
Both charities will co-operate with regard to funding and the eventual restoration of the building.

The FVH committee members, known as 'Trustees', are Donna Corbin (Chair) Paul Grainger (Deputy Chair) Mike Findlay (Treasurer) Christine Bohringer (Secretary) Gillian McCallum Nadya Wagland Nicky Povey-Howell David Esp Hugh Bevan and Alison de Ledesma.

The MFPT Trustees are Gillian McCallum, Nadya Wagland, Alison de Ledesma and Mary Roberts.
If anyone would like any further information about the two charities please do call Donna Corbin on 01420 588644.

So you know Who's Who, images of all the Trustees of both Charities can be found here

LOTTERY FUND AWARD

Despite losing out on the Restoration Programme we are delighted to confirm that we have been awarded £49,400 of Heritage Lottery funds. This is to allow us to employ a Community Development Worker ('CDW') 3 days per week for 12 months and also to employ Conservation Architects to undertake the work to ascertain exactly what is wrong with Massey's Folly and what needs to be done to restore it.

The report they prepare will be very detailed and will contain an accurate costing of the work that will be needed. There will also be an audience plan that will look at who will use the building and an access plan that will look at the transport and parking issues.

The Architectural Heritage Fund has offered to make a further contribution to enable the CDW to be employed full time as opposed to 3 days per week.
Talks are taking place with EHDC Community Development and early indications are that the village will receive support from EHDC that will help the project to move forward.
We are also hoping to have support from Hampshire County Council.

It has been drawn to our attention that local estate agent's particulars for Farringdon are now mentioning the fact that Massey's Folly was on the Restoration programme.
Can we assume that this fact may have an influence over the value of properties within the village or their saleability?

We hope that you all enjoyed Farringdon Fun Day! It was a great success and raised over £5000, before expenses, for MFPT.
The profile of Massey's Folly has been raised and Farringdon has been well and truly placed on the map since our involvement in the Restoration programme and the Fun Day.

No event of the scale of Farringdon Fun Day is ever staged without a team of dedicated volunteers and the help of local businesses.
We don't want to leave anyone out of a list by mistake and cause offence and so will just say a big thank you again to all of the volunteers from both within the village and outside who made the day so successful. They know who they are and anyone who attended the Fun Day will know who they are!

The following is a list of the businesses, organisations and individuals who lent their support free of charge, for a smaller charge than normal or at cost, or who gave gifts for the raffle or auction:

Data Print Alton; Travis Perkins Alton; Lasham Gliding; Avenue Nurseries; Alresford Marquees; John Dyer Gallery Falmouth; T J's Inflatables; Aldershot & District Omnibuses Rescue and Restoration Society; Christopher Hoare Tree Services Hythe; Hogroast.com; Loos-R-Us; Site-Equip.co.uk; Rose & Crown; Royal Oak; Somerfield; Super Stars; Beaver Tool Hire; Mick & Sons-Petersfield; Watercress Line; Grange Hotel; Pretty Woman; Moonstone (Singers); Loose Shoes-featuring Dennis Maroney from Texas (Band); Steve Lowis (Singer); Women's Institute; Four Marks Village Hall; East Tisted Village Hall; The Real Wolf Pack Pirates; the Grey Goose Archery Display Team; Falcon High-Birds of Prey; Crepes Ltd; The Little Red Bus Co; Gillian McCallum and other local artists; John Wicks.

Many of the businesses donated a percentage of the monies taken on the day.

VILLAGE HALL BOOKINGS

With effect from the end of September, Village Hall bookings will be taken by Christine Bohringer, secretary of the FVH. Her contact number is 587307

TEA WITH THE REVEREND THOMAS MASSEY

One of our village historians, Frances Heath, has been to see Ellen Fifield nee Wareham who is now 103 years old! She is delighted to be able to share with you the chat that she had with her.
Ellen was born in Churchers in Church Road. In those days, the property was three cottages. Ellen was one of five children. She had four sisters. The children all went to school at the Old School House in The Street. Ellen left school at the age of 12 years.
Ellen's father was the Sexton of the Church. She and her sisters would light the candles in the Church before the service. Apparently, on many Sundays nobody came to the Church but the Rev Massey used to conduct the service anyway! Ellen and her sisters just sat in the porch and listened!
Ellen remembers going to the Rectory (now Farringdon Place in Church Road) for a tea party. There they enjoyed bread and jam.
Her mother made home-made wine. Henry Andrews, one of the builders of Massey's Folly, often stopped his work and went over to Churchers for a welcome drink!
The family had a black cat (surely not Charlie Six Dinners in a former life!) which, at the end of each day would stroll over to the Folly to inspect the day's work!
Ellen recalled that, when the Folly was first built, there was no glass in the windows. It was just a box. Later the openings for the windows were knocked out. She believes that some tiles would have been removed by doing this and has often wondered where they went.
A story that has been recounted before is that the Rev Massey used to throw pennies to the children and Ellen remembered this.
Emily Parker was the Rev Massey's housekeeper. She lit fires in the bedroom grates. One day the Rev Massey's bed caught fire but when the soldiers billeted in the Village rushed to his aid, Emily would not let them in!
Ellen's grandfather lived at Beloms Cottage and her father was born there. It was later bought by the Rev Massey and the meeting room there was boarded up. At the end of his life, Ellen's grandfather went to live with his sister at Rose Cottage in Chawton. When he died he was brought back to Farringdon in his coffin over Berry Hill to the Church. Mrs Fifield was told that because a body had been brought that way then the footpath from Chawton to Farringdon could never be closed.
This is just one of many stories that surround Massey's Folly and the Rev Massey and it is hoped that a museum within the Folly will be a permanent record for all to see and enjoy.

Email: donna.corbin@btopenworld.com or marysroberts@btinternet.com

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