History Of The Hall
History Of The Hall
The Village Hall in Abinger Hammer was built in 1925. The Farrer family at Abinger Hall were involved with it from the beginning until they, or the senior members of the family, left the village in 1946. When the Dorking Advertiser reported on the large fete held in Abinger Hall gardens on the 15th July 1922, they stated that the object of it was to raise 'sufficient funds to build a village hall for Abinger, which now possess no building capacious enough for the many activities of the village'. Already £500 had been raised during the previous fifteen months, about half the required sum. This fete, it was estimated, had added over £260.
The fete was on a scale no longer seen, resembling in some features, the current Wooton Flower Show. Most of the inhabitants of the village must have been involved, with jobs distributed by committees and sub committees. Attractions included little plays performed in a 'Sylvan Theatre' by he 'Abinger Hammerters' and the Abinger and Wooton Players. There were stalls, slide shows, plant and produce classes, children's sports, a tennis tournament and tugs of war. In the latter event, Abinger Hammer School defeated Abinger Common School whilst Abinger WI beat its opposite number from Shere. It was because of the Abinger Hammer WI's efforts that the arrangement of the fete was largely brought about. A second and even more elaborate fete was held in 1929, the proceeds being split between the Abinger District Nursing Association and the Village Hall Fund.
Two of the main organizations needing a hall were the WI and the Abinger Choir which sang in the Leith Hill Festival. It is now the Holmbury Choir which practices there weekly.
It was as a result of the Farrers' connection with the Leith Hill Festival that a concert marked the opening of the completed Village Hall on 16th January 1926. Evangeline Farrer was a contemporary of RVW at he Royal College of Music and joint founder with his sister of the Festival. FF was its Secretary from 1919-1939 and pushed for the building of the Dorking Halls to house it. The first piece played was an arrangement by Ralph Vaughn Williams of Mr Isaac's 'Maggot', the tune of one of the dances by John Playford in the 17th century. A 'Maggot in this context is a tune that you can't get out of your head. The rather odd set of instruments available to the players consisted of two violins, a cello, piano and clarinet, with FF on the triangle!
This was followed by the Official Opening by Lord Farrer. There then followed Hydn's toy symphony performed by members of the Abinger Hammer Women's Institute, three plays. Madrigals sung by members of the Abinger Choral Society, violin solos and songs sung by Mona Tatham.
Before he died in 1940, Lord Farrer attempted to provide an endowment for the Hall by giving it his shares in a French colonial firm called Caiffa. Sadly, the war rendered them valueless.
