Barrowden Village Hall CIO
Phase one of a community hub
Past Events
April 2024 The Final Fling!
Another, and final, ceilidh in our village hall before the rebuilding works.
A night of fun dancing, great music and wonderful shared food enjoyed by dancers from Peterborough, Castor, Harringworth, Seaton, Uppingham, Oakham, North and South Luffenham and Duddington as well as from Barrowden. A great night with entertainment by the Five String Thing from Oundle.
Barrowden again celebrated the birth of the National Bard of Scotland, Robert Burns, on Friday 26th January 2024. The evening was off to a good start with a welcome by the honorary Chieftain for the night, Tom Murie from Tixover. Once all 48 guests had a glass in hand and found their seats, Jim Vinales delivered the Selkirk Grace. Then the Great Chieftain o' the Puddin' race was piped in to the tune of "A man's a man for a' that", one of Burns' great poems, set to music. Ronnie Fraser did the honours of delivering the beast to David Lovering, who performed the Address to the Haggis, in an unconventional anglicised version, which was an aid to most folks' understanding of this solemn Burns' verse.
Once the pudding was well and truly addressed, we all enjoyed a meal of haggis, neeps and tatties, with whisky gravy, beautifully cooked by several of the ladies in attendance. There followed "clootless" Clootie dumpling with custard or Cranachan, and then a selection of Scottish cheeses.
Once the meal was over, and the loyal toast was raised, we were entertained by Tom Murie who presented the Immortal Memory, a traditional tribute to Rabbie Burns. This was followed by a well balanced joust between John Hennessey and Sally Brown who gave us the Toast to the Lasses and the Reply from the Lasses, respectively. Ronnie Fraser then reminded us of those whom we have lost since the last time we celebrated Burns' night together, in the toast to Absent Friends. Valerie Fraser then gave a descriptive account of Tam O'Shanter, one of Burns' most famous poems and this was followed by a quiz which shed light on some of the more obscure facts about Burns and his legacy.
The evening was rounded off in fine style by our great local musicians, Dick Clarke and Chris Dunn who entertained us brilliantly with a selection of Scottish folk and comic songs and encouraged us to join in. Of course the copious amounts of whisky dispensed helped enormously in this respect.
Many thanks must go to all who helped make this another highly enjoyable Burns' night, performing, cooking, clearing up and just generally enjoying themselves and supporting their village hall!!
Christmas Ceilidh in the Village Hall on Saturday, December 30th
Dancing to the superb Five String Thing Ceilidh Band.
All dances called. Bring and share supper.
​
The ceilidh was a great success, with 32 dancers who all had a great evening of dancing. Chris "Sandy" Sanders was our caller and led us all in a variety of Scottish dances with almost everyone participating in every dance! The band also entertained us with tunes from their fabulous repertoire and some wonderful songs too. We all enjoyed the supper which everyone had brought a part of and it was all washed down with some fine wines, beers and soft drinks.
Unfortunately, the event below had to be cancelled due to lack of numbers, but Charlotte is happy to speak to individuals of groups who may be interested in a similar course.
Barrowden 5th Annual Arts and Craft Fair - November 17th 2023
Friday October 13th 7:30 pm at Barrowden Village Hall
​
Encounters with Achilles: The Discovery of a Trojan War Mosaic in a Rutland Field.
A talk by John Thomas
In 2020 a Rutland landowner’s walk across fields during the pandemic lockdown led to the discovery of one of the most exciting Roman mosaics in over a century. The unique example of ancient art featured scenes of Achilles and his battle with Prince Hector of Troy as told by Homer in his epic Trojan War poem The Iliad, which were the first of their kind from Roman Britain.
John Thomas will describe the discovery of the mosaic and talk about its imagery and further work by University of Leicester Archaeological Services & Historic England that has revealed the wider setting of the mosaic, within an extensive Roman villa complex.
John Thomas is Deputy Director of ULAS and Project Manager for the Rutland Villa Project.
Cash and Card Few tickets remaining £12 from Barrowden and Wakerley Community Shop
All proceeds to Village Hall funds
​
Dementia Awareness Day, Tuesday 19th September 2023
March 2023
Our successful table top sale raised over £200 for village hall funds, thanks to those villagers and visitors who rented tables and came to snap up bargains. Our cake table was also very popular and thanks are extended to the ladies of the village who donated so many delicious cakes. The British Heart Foundation came and took away all the items left at the end of the sale, so everything went to a good cause.
April's concert arranged by the local Ukulele group was a huge success, raising over £1000 for village hall funds. Thanks to all the wonderful musicians, audience and helpers who made this a special evening of great entertainment.
Fine Art Sale February 2023
Local Art and Antique dealer Peter Jones held a spectacular Fine Art sale in the Village Hall and donated part of the proceeds to the Village Hall rebuilding fund.
MARCH 2023 - Mathew Morris - Archaeologist Extraordinaire
In March 2023, Mathew Morris returned to the Village hall to present another fascinating illustrated talk on the parklands of Leicestershire.
Cardinals, Chariots and Queens – The archaeology of Abbey Park, Burrough Hill and Bradgate Park
Have you ever wondered about the history of your local park? Why is it there? What was there before it? In Cardinals, Chariots and Queens, Mathew Morris looked at the archaeology of three of Leicestershire’s best loved parks, Abbey Park, Burrough Hill Country Park and Bradgate Park. Ice Age hunters, Iron Age charioteers and Tudor Cardinals and Queens, all have left their mark on the park landscapes we enjoy today. Thanks to Mathew's generosity, almost £1000 has been raised for Village Hall funds and two very interesting evenings were enjoyed by all who attended.
Wonderful afternoon at the Barrowden Annual Christmas lunch 8th December 2022. Great food, great fun, great day.
Many thanks to all the cooks, organisers, entertainment and Barrowden charity.
Barrowden Christmas Lunch
December 8th 2022
61 Christmas meals served to the over-60s by the volunteer lunch group
.jpg)
Christmas Ceilidh 2022 - a fun evening enjoyed by all the dancers and raising funds for the village hall. Music provided by the 5 String Thing ceilidh band.
JANUARY 2023 - Mathew Morris - Leicester University Archaeological Services
Mathew Morris presented a hugely entertaining talk on "Medieval Leicester" in January 2023.
Fascinating insight into the archaeology of Leicester from the team who are making new discoveries every day.