The Parish Church Of Saint Oswald

The village of Oswaldkirk takes its name from the parish church of Saint Oswald, the Christian king of Northumbria, slain in 642 fighting against the heathen King Penda at the battle of Maserfield.

Nothing now remains of the earliest wooden Saxon church, but the nave of the present church is basically Norman with later insertions. It is possible that there was some rebuilding in the 13th century because the church had to be re-consecrated in August 1287 by Henry, Bishop of Candida Casa (Whitehorn), acting under a mandate from the Archbishop of York, John le Romeyn.

The Norman doorway in the north wall, now blocked, is visible both inside and outside the church. There was presumably a substantial stairway leading from the door to the floor level of the nave. The north door and narrow slit window to the west of it, both survive from the 11th or 12th century. The large windows in the north and south of the nave were inserted about 1320-1330 and the top panels of two of them contain fragments of medieval glass. Their quality suggests that there would have been much more pictorial glass in earlier times. Many medieval windows were destroyed in the 1600s but we have no record of what happened at Oswaldkirk.  

The three tall arches at the west end were rebuilt between 1800 and 1850, replacing similar, lower arches which hid the small west window. The arched recess in the south wall no doubt contained the tomb of one of the Pickering family, Lords of Oswaldkirk from the 14th to the 16th century. The tombstone lying on its side is probably that of Sir Richard Pickering who died in 1441, wishing to be buried before the altar of Our Lady, where the pulpit now is, and leaving his green coat to be made into a vestment for Saint Oswald's altar. The pulpit is 17th century. The bell tower is from the 19th century and contains two bells inscribed VENITE EXULTEMUS DOMINO 1684 and GLORIA IN ALTISSIMUS DEO 1683.

The Chancel and much of the woodwork in the chancel is 19th century. The church was substantially restored in 1886. One important improvement was the inclusion of a pitch damp course, which is essential as most of the floor is below ground level. Another innovation was a ducted air heating system, with an air intake by the door and hot air outlet behind the organ. The air was heated through a heat exchanger in the heater shed and if well stoked from Friday evening, the church could be warmish by Sunday - there is an additional hot air outlet into the vestry.  The modern electric system is effective and was a bequest from a lady who found the Victorian system did not keep her warm enough, despite a fur coat. The old system was also quite labour intensive.

The east window which dates from the 1886 restoration shows St Oswald, his friend St Aidan and St Cuthbert, in whose coffin St Oswald’s wounded head was placed.  It is now thought to be behind the High Altar of Durham Cathedral.

The wooden panelling in the sanctuary and in the south side of the chancel is 17th century. The gravestone of a Cistercian abbot lies in the north east corner of the sanctuary. This lay directly in front of the altar until 1886. Whether an abbot of Byland or Rievaulx is buried here is not known. The stone may have been brought to Oswaldkirk at the Dissolution of the Monasteries. There is a blocked up priest's door in the south side of the chancel, and on the outside a 13th century cross can be seen on a re-used stone, together with some primitive sundials. In the porch there are fragments of Anglian or Danish carving and other stones. John Bunting cut a new carving based on the  ancient carving of the Virgin and Child and kindly gave it to the church in the 1980s.

The parish registers exist continuously from 1538 and the names of the Rectors of Oswaldkirk are known almost completely from 1320 to the present day. The Living of Oswaldkirk is an ancient Rectory which was in the possession of the Oswaldkirk Pickerings from about 1316 to the end of the 16th century. It remained in private hands until 1980, when the Feversham family passed on their rights to the Archbishop of York. In 1958 the living was united with that of Ampleforth, and the living of Gilling was incorporated in 1986. Stonegrave was added to the United Benefice in 1998 and the Rector now lives in Ampleforth Rectory.

The original Victorian harmonium was replaced with a somewhat better one of the same period, which was surplus to the requirements of the Castle Howard Costume Museum, and now our hymns are played on an electric organ, with two manuals and pedals which was kindly donated by a village resident.

Despite the fact that we now share our Rector with three other villages, we are able to retain our weekly pattern of worship with the help of licensed lay leaders from the parish and beyond.

Revd Barry Keeton (Rector 1974-1979), revised by David Goodman. 

St. Aidan's Church

Before St. Aidan's church was built in the 1960s the Roman Catholic community worshipped in the village hall and in private houses. Fr. Cuthbert Rabnett and Fr. Edmund Hatton from Ampleforth, appealed for funds and Adrian Stewart of The Annet, Bank Top, remembers how in 1953  he was one of the first Old Boys of the College to subscribe. Richard Fairbairns, of Manor House, gave the land for the church in memory of his mother, Ethel.

The architect appointed was Ewan Blackledge whose family now live in Oswaldkirk. The pale coloured windows were designed and cut by Derek Clarke. They depict choirs of angels round the throne of God. and are said to be similar to ones in Coventry Cathedral. Our (then) resident sculptor John Bunting carved the striking Stations of the Cross in wood on the west wall and Fr. Edgar Miller, parish priest, has enhanced the church with many other carvings.

The church is dedicated to St. Aidan who came from Iona in the 7th century at the invitation of his friend King Oswald and together they spread the Christian message in the north of England. Today the congregation is drawn from Oswaldkirk and surrounding villages.

Helen Goodman.

Saint Simeon’s House (1968-1979)

The Manor House.

For eleven years, between 1968 and 1979, the Manor House, the long low building which lies below the Hag north of the main road, just opposite the road to the estate, was known as St Simeon's House and was a Hall of Residence for Ampleforth College. Whether this row of joined cottages ever was the Manor House itself is doubtful. The actual Manor House probably stood on the site of the present White House where the coats of arms of the Pickering family are still to be found on the wall opposite the church. Nevertheless the building has a long history and there are stories of priest’s hiding holes dating back to the days of recusancy.

There is nothing surprising about all this, but what is surprising is that this Hall of Residence was reserved for Orthodox Christians supported by grants to attend the Roman Catholic Ampleforth College along the road. The Russian Orthodox residence was in the charge of two Russian emigres, Archpriest Vladimir Rodzianko and his wife Mary. Both worked for the BBC Overseas Service (Russian Branch) and their two grandchildren were also boarders at St. Simeon's.

Abbot Basil Hume & The Very Revd Vladimir Rodzianko.

The whole venture was facilitated by Abbots Basil Hume and Ambrose Griffiths, who both later became Bishops, under the Headmastership of Patrick Barry, who later became Abbot. Deacon Simeon Piers took over control of the House in 1975 when the BBC summoned the Rodziankos to London. At the height of this generous and far-sighted enterprise there were twenty young boarders resident in the house.

A little Orthodox Church was created in the drive to the Manor House. The church was a simple caravan fitted with an Onion Dome and passers-by would see the Icon, hear the sound of Orthodox chant and catch, wafted on the breeze, the scent of incense.

Philip Entwistle.

The Oswaldkirk Charities

The Ancient Parish of Ampleforth / Oswaldkirk had a number of Charitable Funds, some starting in the late 1600s. They have been simplified, with the approval of the Charity Comissioners, into the funds that we have today. The Ancient Parish included quite a large part of what is now Ampleforth up until the mid 1800s.

Part of Charity foundation document 1762.

The Ampleforth and Oswaldkirk Educational Foundation, had an income of  just over £200 in 2001. The income is to be used purely for educational purposes, and in recent years we have divided most of the income equally between the two schools at Ampleforth to help children go on educational trips that they would not otherwise be able to afford, at the discretion of the Headteachers.

The Oswaldkirk United Charities was made up of nine separate but similar funds with less specific aims. They are listed below and were combined into one in 1997. The income in 2001 was  just over £150.

 Components of the Oswaldkirk United Charities:

           Mary Bowdery (Indenture) of 1854

           Mary Bowdery (Will) of 1878

           Dorothy Comber (Gift) before 1825

           Together as the Fyshe, Sidgwick and Thompson Indenture of 1762

           Mary Thompson (Will) of 1784

There were also two other gifts which seem to have either been absorbed or lost:

           Lady Catherine Cholmley (gift) before 1824, a rent charge on the Worsley Hovingham Estate

           Sir Richard Vaughan (gift) before 1824, a rentcharge from land at Ampleforth

The Lady Catherine Cholmley rentcharge was the subject of a lengthy correspondence in the mid 1800s between two generations of the Worsleys, at Hovingham, and the Combers, rectors at Oswaldkirk. In essence the payment was for a sermon to be preached in the Newton Grange Chapel, which had become derelict and was rebuilt by the Fevershams at Sproxton in 1879. The Worsleys objected to paying for a sermon which was not preached and the Combers said that there was no point in ‘preaching to rabbits’ so the sermon was preached in St Oswald’s church instead.

The Trustees of both charities are headed by the Rector of Oswaldkirk, with four trustees appointed by our Parish Meeting and two from the Ampleforth Parish Council, each for a renewable period of three years. The Educational Foundation also has an appointee from the County Council.

David Goodman.

 Malt Shovel Inn

Nikolaus Pevsner in his architectural review of North Yorkshire mentions the Malt Shovel as particularly worthy, along with the Church and the Hall. He writes "From the street one would not guess that this Inn has a facade to the garden which makes it certain that it was once a house of some standing. Five bays, two storeys, the doorway and all the windows with pediments alternating between triangular and segmental horizontally as well as vertically. It is all a little crowded and overdone but all the more cheerful for that." He dates the house as being between c.1720 and 1730 but fails to mention the fine old staircase which is still there, leading from the central hall. Apparently the whole edifice was built by  William Moore, who later moved to the present Hall, having destroyed the medieval building as not being to his liking. It would appear that the first inhabitant of the house, now the Malt Shovel, was William Moore himself. The Inn is now a Grade 2 listed building, which protects it from any further development and preserves it for posterity.

Malt Shovel Inn Sign.

Joan Masterman, in her ‘Memories of Bygone Oswaldkirk’ writes 'The Mecca for most of the old characters in the village was the Malt Shovel Inn, one of the oldest buildings in the village and once a staging post for stage coaches passing through the village. Saturday night was the big night. The first bar had a huge open fireplace in those days with two great settles on each side of the table in the middle.

Malt Shovel Inn front door.

There were no females in the 1940s except the Landlady Mrs. Holliday. There were no carpets on the floor and none needed. Most of the chaps wore hob-nailed boots. Sunday suits were for Church and funerals only. There was a darts board on the interior wall and liberal dominoes among the pint pots. No food except the odd packet of crisps for the young chaps. The old ones were too busy with their pipes of tobacco.'

There is said to be a ghost who patrols the stairs and landing. There are stories of chairs and tables thrown into disarray and of objects flying though the air. However, in the late nineties, the Rector exorcised the building and the tales of haunting have ceased. It does not take much imagination though to sit in the bar on a winter's night and see other ghosts of past village worthies nodding sleepily over their pint pots, the air thick with tobacco smoke.

Philip Entwistle.

The Village School

Babs Miller-Pratt.

Oswaldkirk boasts an early development of educational establishments. Records show that a payment was made to a schoolmaster in 1762. Maps from the early 1800s show a school building at the beginning of the Terrace and in 1854 a newly built  parochial, endowed school was opened on the same site. The academic teachings were supplemented by instruction in the Church of England doctrines and religious instruction was part of the daily curriculum.

Changes in the Education Acts in 1902 had little impact, as general education for primary school children was well established. However, in 1908 a new Education Bill was introduced which specified that schools providing sectarian religious instruction became non-provided schools, i.e. not paid for by the local Education Committee but receiving an 'appropriate' grant. All schools had to register a roll in excess of 30 pupils (Oswaldkirk had 38). Secular education, including non-denominational religious instruction  was to be the norm for Education Committee (Board) schools.

Oswaldkirk school was administered by a committee of four managers under licence from the owner of the property, Colonel Benson. The chief influence was that of the Rector of Oswaldkirk, the Revd. J.W.G. Bennett. After running the school under Church of England guidance, Col. Benson insisted after the 1908 Bill that only secular education be provided at the school. This proposal was objected to by two of the managers, namely the Rector and Mr Seamer, both of whom contested the Colonel's insistence that the majority of the pupils came from non-conformist families. It is interesting to note that said Rector was the only appointee in the village who was not selected by Col. Benson and that their relationship was somewhat acrimonious.

A published dispute ensued (Malton Messenger, Yorkshire Gazette and Yorkshire Post) and the debate was joined by the Earl of Feversham who supported the dissident managers. The dispute was not resolved amicably and, in September 1908, Col. Benson gave the managers notice to quit the premises. The Oswaldkirk School Trust was closed in December of that year.

Another unhelpful factor had been the school inspector’s report of May 1908 which indicated that the standard of education and sanitation at Oswaldkirk school was not up to acceptable standards and that the school had suffered considerably from repeated closures during the year.

The efforts of Rector Bennett to found a new Church of England school at the Rectory met with no success, despite an agreement, in principle, by the York Diocesan Education Society that a grant should be provided for its establishment. The children of Oswaldkirk were henceforth to attend Gilling school - a two mile walk.

Old School building with teachers' houses.

The school building was divided into three sections: what is now School House was the teacher’s residence; what is now Southlands was the school (and still retains the high windows installed to deter pupils from neglecting their studies); the corner property, now Laurel Cottage, was the home of the Headmaster, who was also the village registrar. Following closure of the school the registrar post at Oswaldkirk was assimilated into the Helmsley registry.

Today most of the primary school children attend St Hilda’s or St Benedict’s schools in Ampleforth village, and when they are eleven they move on to Ryedale Comprehensive School at Nawton/Beadlam.

Babs Miller-Pratt.

Oswaldkirk Cricket Club 1930 - 1939

A faded blue exercise book containing the Minutes of Oswaldkirk Cricket Club from 1930-1939 represents the only tangible evidence we have at the moment of an important aspect of past village life.

The Cricket Club flourished before 1930 and after 1939 but the only material evidence we have for its existence is this cursory Minute Book. The rest of our information depends on memory and hearsay. Still, this glimpse of the past, however brief, is fascinating.

It is clear that the Great War (1914-1918) still held its sway over residents of rural England. The inaugural President of the Club in 1930 was Colonel Benson, who remained in this office until his death in 1932 when the Secretary noted his loss to the Club and when the Committee, prompted by the Rector, stood for two minutes in silence. The next President, appointed that year, was Major Foster and although the Vice President at that time, the Revd. J.L.Pugh Thomas, had no military title, the succeeding Chairman in 1935 was Major Gatty Smith. The Club captain for the 1934 season was one Sergeant Kelly.

The Minutes are generally brief and confined to names of elected officers. However at the end of 1930 a special meeting was held ‘for the purpose of arranging a gate to be made into the Tennis Field so that the cricket roller could be used by Tennis Club members, who would pay 2/6d to the Cricket Club for the use of the roller and the gate.’

In 1935 a major step forward was the appointment of a groundsman for the coming season. Mr G. Bowes accepted this position for the munificent salary of 2/6d. per week. This arrangement may not have worked very well for by 1937 it was agreed that ‘the Committee members do it.’ We can only speculate that Mr. Bowes had either not been a success or had been unhappy about the pay!

However, information about the social life of the village is much more interesting. On Easter Monday 1930 the Club held a Whist Drive and Dance in the 'New Hall' in aid of funds. In 1931 another dance was arranged which was attended by the Easingwold Band. Admission was 2/6d and refreshments were free. There was to be a Spot Prize and a Waltzing competition. The Dance was obviously a great success for, at the following meeting the Secretary noted that £20-4-9d. had been raised. For "future experience" he chose to list the food purchased and provided viz:

An unspecified number of napkins; 4 Ibs. of potted meat; 4 sandwich loaves of bread; 2 lbs.of tea; 1 bottle of coffee essence; 4 lbs.of sugar; 2 Ibs. of butter; one and a half gallons of milk; and finally, 5 doz. bottles of mineral water. So the days of innocent enjoyment are recorded.

On the 9th of May 1939, with war looming, the Oswaldkirk Cricket Club closed its books. Cricket kit was sold off to Gilling C.C. for the sum of £7. The Cricket Pavilion and Roller were loaned to the Oswaldkirk Tennis Club to be returned in the event of the Cricket Club being re-formed. The last sad entry for 1939 should be recorded in full. ‘It was proposed by Mr. Horner and seconded by Mr. A. Dale that the two new cricket balls be sold to Gilling Cricket Club for the sum of 10/-  carried.’

Philip Entwistle.

The Home Guard

The BBC programme 'Dad's Army' may be partly responsible for the idea that the L.D.V. (The Local Defence Volunteers), later to be known as the Home Guard, was something of a joke. But when Anthony Eden, in the dark days of the summer of 1940, announced the formation of this volunteer army, the men who came forward, many of them already veterans of the First World War, did not regard it as such. Nor incidentally did the enemy according to a letter to The Times newspaper in February that year. The Germans did not see the Home Guard as part of the British armed forces at all. Members of the Home Guard if captured were to be treated 'as terrorist guerrillas and shot'. Consequently the fate of any volunteer was clear and there was nothing very funny about that! However, even although in reality the Home Guard was never called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice, we can say with certainty that every one of them was prepared to die for his country.

The Home Guard was never called into action so most of the information we have about them concerns preparation for hostilities in the form of training exercises. We know that our local branch (Nos 1 and 2 Platoons B Company) commanded by Captain Perry (White House) had nightly defensive duties to perform. We know that there were road blocks (two in Oswaldkirk), Bridge ambush points (1 NCO and 12 men at Newgate Bank), Observation Posts to man and airfields to defend. B Company Battle H.Q. is noted as the ‘Czech’ Hut, Helmsley (Tel. No. Helmsley 83). Three of the Observation Posts (O.P's) appear to have been the responsibility of B Company and were manned every night. A secret communique from Battalion command in May 1941 reports that on inspection of these Posts, although no great fault was found, one B Company O.P. was manned by only two men. 'Manning parties should be not less than three'. The communique goes on to insist that the role of H.G. companies is 'to defend their own village and not to go hunting paratroops some distance away'. The regular army, in the form of the 11th. Armoured Division was expected to enter the area in June.

Co-operation with the local Searchlight Detachments was encouraged because these sites had better communication resources than the Home Guard who had to rely on the primitive local telephone system. The telephone line in this sector passed through exchanges in Pickering and Malton. Failing the telephone, and it often failed, communication was through Cyclist Dispatch riders or Pigeon Post. The latter two forms of communication, it was noted, were highly unreliable and 'should only be used as a desperate last resort'. Local searchlights were sited at Ampleforth and Laskill. Mrs. Marion Brookes (who lived as a child in the Old Post Office) remembers being lifted to the landing window to see the searchlights.

Road Blocks were only manned in an emergency by enough men 'as to be able to close them’. ‘Any stranger should be examined by one man whilst the rest should cover him with their rifles from concealed positions’. First Aid Posts were set up, the nearest being in the Vicarage, Hovingham. There was a look out post at the top of the bank, to the left of the gate to West Newton Grange, and a tent for brewing tea and councils of war across the road in the wood round what is now Thirklewood garden. The village had a road block at the bottom of the bank, jutting out from the wall to Red House on one side and Laurel Cottage on the other.

A letter from Lt. Drake (B Company Liaison Officer) in December 1943 to Lt. Lund (H.Q. Information Officer, Manor Farm, Broughton) apologises for the failure of B. Company guides due to pressures of work and illness. 'I hope you are finding things not too difficult in your struggle to manage your farm and the Home Guard - a tough job!’ It must be stressed that all Home Guard personnel had full-time civilian jobs to do and that they sacrificed much spare time and every evening to their part-time military role.

In a Battalion shooting competition on the 16th July 1943, four members of B Company, L/Cpl Makin, Pte. Dale, Pte. Cooper and Pte. Thompson scored 70 points each in firing the spigot mortar.

A message (31st July 1943, not to be published) from the General Commander in Chief H.Q. Home Forces to all Home Guard Commanders states:

The Home Guard was created as the partner of the Field Army with the task of defeating any attempt to invade this country. Although the task of the Field Army has changed to the invasion of Europe our partnership continues, since you will contribute to the security of the base from which we operate. I have every confidence in your ability to undertake this responsibility. Thus you make a direct contribution to the final victory and set an enduring example to the nation in service and self-sacrifice.

I send to you and all under your command my sincere thanks and my best wishes for your future. I shall always count it a great privilege to have served as your Commander in Chief.

(Signed General Commander in Chief)

This seems a fitting tribute to the local men, from this village, who volunteered their time and were prepared to give their lives for their country in the years between 1940/45.

B Company Commander, Major R.T. Pearson MC. (Ampleforth)

B Company HQ Pearson and Wards, (Bondgate, Helmsley)

Second in Command, Captain H.G. Perry (White House, Oswaldkirk), No.1 Platoon Commander, Lt. W. Black (Ness Lane, Nunnington), No.2 Platoon Commander, Lt. W.H. Bond (Ampleforth College).

Phillip Entwistle.

The Parish Meeting

All villages in England have either a Parish Council or a Parish Meeting. These two bodies are often confused. There are very few similarities between the two although both represent their village. The Parish Meeting is an assembly of every village inhabitant. Every parishioner is entitled to attend meetings, to speak and to vote. In this way decisions are the product of the whole village and not just a small elected group. No matter how few people attend the meeting this would still be the case, for those who have failed to attend have freely decided not to exercise their right to do so. Unhappily the earliest Parish records have been lost but we have the minutes of a Meeting on January 3rd 1894, chaired by George Skilbeck, regarding the safe keeping of the Charity deeds and appointment of trustees. There were probably occasional meetings in earlier years.

Parish Meeting Minute from 1894.

The Oswaldkirk Parish Meeting is well supported today. Average attendance per meeting is about 25 to 30 villagers and every household receives an agenda for every meeting held. Discussion is lively and all decisions are reached by democratic vote. The main business of the year falls into a number of well-defined categories such as  speeding, footpaths, dog-fouling, Neighbourhood Watch and general unsociable behaviour such as bonfires. The most important decisions made concern planning and the future development of a village which lies at the very heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. Decisions about planning are not only crucial for the present welfare of the village but also for future generations who will live in or visit this area in the years to come.

It is for these future generations that the Parish meets and it is on the shoulders of those who attend the meetings that the responsibility for the survival of this beautiful environment lies.

The Officers at the time of writing are:

            Chairman - Ian Henley                Vice-Chairman -  David Goodman

            Treasurer - Eric Dunstone           Secretary -          Philip Entwistle

Previous Chairmen include: Brigadier R.H. Amory (about 1960 to 1976), and David Goodman (1976-2000).

Philip Entwistle.

Minute Book of Oswaldkirk Village Hall

February 1937 - 1946

We have at the moment no records of the Village Hall, its constitution and activities, before 1937 but on February 1st 1937 at a Public Meeting which forty villagers attended, a revised scheme for the working of the Hall was presented. A motion that the Hall be carried on as a Village Hall on a tenancy (of a Mr. Cundall) on a three-year lease at a rent of £15 per annum was passed. It was stipulated that the Landlord should be responsible for the external upkeep of the Hall with certain responsibilities for internal woodwork and fireplaces and that the tenants (the village) should be responsible for general internal upkeep.

The Village Hall in the 1980s.

It is clear that at this juncture the Village Hall was not owned by the village, being rented from the Landlord owner. At the same meeting a Ladies Section was formed to cater for all the ladies of the Parish. A Committee of twelve men and four ladies was duly elected.

The meeting then went on to discuss what was uppermost in its mind the forthcoming Coronation celebrations. A children's sports, gifts of mugs, a dance and a 'Free Tea’ for all the village were proposed and unanimously carried.

The Village Hall with its superb sprung floor constituted an important centre for local dancing and it is not surprising that a dance on Easter Monday, to raise funds for the Coronation celebrations, and another free dance for Coronation night should be proposed and carried. Major Philip Gatty Smith was thanked for all the work he had accomplished to secure the Hall (albeit rented) for the village. It would seem that the Hall had fallen into some disrepair for ‘workmen’ are mentioned although essential repairs were to be deferred until after the Coronation celebrations. Also furniture for the Hall was scarce and it was agreed that the Cricket Club should be asked for the loan of its chairs and that a second hand mirror should be purchased (cost 2/6d) for the Ladies cloakroom. Mr. Stabler, the blacksmith, offered to freely make 'two iron fire kerbs' for the fireplaces.

Coronation mug from 1937.

The going price for local dance bands (raised for the special occasion of the Coronation because they were in great demand) was £5. This was considered too high so an alternative Whist Drive for Coronation night was proposed and accepted. (18 packs of cards to be purchased from Boots)

By March 1937 the Committee was deeply into negotiations for a second hand piano from Greys of York, price  £18.18s and the construction of a stage, using tables and trestles. The first record of the names of local bands can be found in the March entry. Baxter's band is to be engaged for a dance on April 23rd for £2.5s or failing that Sails Band (5 musicians) for £2.15s. Masters of Ceremonies, ticket office accountants and ticket collectors are appointed. Posters are ordered with the important proviso for dancers that ‘they should wear slippers’. This is the first dance to be arranged in the newly acquired Hall and obviously it is regarded as both an experiment and a serious undertaking. Persons selling twelve tickets or more were to be given one free ticket as a bonus. The dance was a great success. It made a profit of £13.10.6d. and another was planned for June 18th.  Failing Sails, Hudson Smith's band from Easingwold, should be booked.

The big day May 12th 1937, Coronation Day, arrived. It rained all day. A rival firework display upset arrangements for the Whist Drive. The starting time was brought forward from 8.30 to 7.00 p.m. Twenty-four hands of whist were proposed but immediately there were requests from the players for a reduction to twenty hands because they wanted to watch the fireworks, and some were going to dances at other villages. The organisers complied. The Whist Drive ended early, prizes were distributed and there was a general rush for the doors. ‘By ten o'clock’ the Minutes sadly record ‘the Hall was empty.’

Before and preceding the second world war the proudly proclaimed 'New Village Hall' provided a focus for nearly all village activities. A report of a public meeting on 13th May 1938 provides us with information which properly reflects its importance and also the health of the village at that time.

Quarters were made available for the Men's Club and also a Branch of the County Library. Rooms were available for meetings of various village societies. The Tennis Club, Cricket Club and Conservative Association all met regularly in the Hall. A Ladies Physical Culture Class was held as were Jumble Sales, Whist Drives, Social Evenings, Concerts and Lectures. As the war approached these lectures took on a more serious tone and were mainly concerned with the rather frightening topic of Air Raid Precautions. The Village Hall would also convert to a Cinema. It had a piano, a stage and chairs. (The same chairs that we use today)

However, the greatest attraction of the Village Hall before and immediately after the Second World War was the finely installed and magically sprung dance floor. It was the envy of every village in Ryedale. We have in the archive a beautifully kept Account Book for Village Hall Income and expenditure 1938-1952. The quality dance floor assured regular bookings for the Sinnington Hunt Ball and from outside bodies, clubs and the police. What is most intriguing is the number of local bands available all usually hired for fees under £5 per night. The band would usually be given supper (7/-) as an additional bonus. A list of different band leaders provides some indication of the variety and popularity of native musicians in the years between the wars: - Birdsall's Band, Baxter's Band, Waller's Band, Holm's Band, Train' s Band, Richardson's Band, Appleby's Band and McEvoy’s Band. Occasionally a solo pianist, Mr Atkinson, was hired: his fee was 12/6d.

After the war the bands are hired, more exotically, by name:- The Moonrakers, The Masqueraders, Bukavestas, The Rhythemaires, Lloyd Stotts, The Premier Dance Band and the Harmonica Band. (This latter group was only paid 10/- rather than the stipulated £5. It would be interesting to know why.)

It was an era of self-entertainment and flourishing amateur music of a type  which we shall probably never see again.

Philip Entwistle.

The Village Hall

Speech at the opening of the New Hall by David Goodman  23rd April 1988

The history of Oswaldkirk Village Hall is a remarkable reflection of the changes that have occurred in the village over the last 80 years as the village developed from a static and almost feudal society which survived in Oswaldkirk until the 1930s, to the more fluid age of the second home, the Bed and Breakfast, and the commuting, consuming, society of today.

The Old Hall was built entirely by the generosity of Col. Benson, who owned almost every square yard of the parish, and presided over his realm as a benevolent despot. He must have been very proud of his village and thought it should have a Village Hall. Not just any old hall, but the best.

He built to the highest standards with billiard room , meeting rooms, a stage and the magnificent sprung floor, which was famous all over the area which he protected with coconut matting when not being danced on, and woe betide anyone who tried to come in their working shoes when there was a dance. There was a balcony, rather like a royal box, above the main entrance from which he could supervise proceedings.

Memories of the Colonel’s time include children’s parties at Christmas, whist drives, concerts, and young ladies walking from the other side of Gilling to come to the dances.

During the Kaiser's war the hall was used, amongst other things, by the Ladies Sewing Circle to knit for the troops and provide some shreds of comfort in the Flanders mud. The plaque which commemorates their efforts will shortly be installed in the new building

After Colonel Benson died in 1932, the hall was run by a committee, who kept on the tradition of regular dances and other events such as produce shows. The Hall was also hired out for local activities such as the Ladies League of Health and Beauty. My only memory of the hall in the 30s is as a very embarrassed small boy watching my mother and a dozen or so other young ladies doing what we now call aerobics in skimpy green shorts and tunics.

During Hitler's war the Hall was used by the military, as a recreation hall, Sergeants’ Mess, a first aid centre and for the occasional dance. It accommodated the Grenadier Guards, and the Free Polish Army who livened up the social scene considerably, before leaving us for D-Day and the battle of Falaise.

Later on, the Hall was used by the Italian prisoners who were very glad to be out of a war that they were not very keen on in the first place, and who taught us to ski on Birch Bank using bent floor boards.

The committee raised enough money, from rents and events, eventually to buy the Hall with the aid of a National Fund, and set up the trust under which we now operate. The first trustees were Major Gatty Smith, whose son is Sandy Mackenzie Smith, and my own father. Their foresight has been a great help in our present venture.

In the late 40s and early 50s the Hall was if anything too successful, with 300 and more at dances. The job of policing and management became increasingly difficult not to say dangerous. There is regrettably nothing new in the present tendency to mindless belligerence.

There were also many village events, dramatics, choir, country dances, concerts, produce shows, WI meetings and evening classes. The Hall was also used by both the Methodists and Roman Catholics for their services. Two personal memories: Horry Perry playing “Sheep May Safely Graze” on the piano in a concert at the end of the war, and local talent show on the stage in about 1951. My contribution was as part of a country dance team organised by my mother, and I remember some adverse comment regarding the way my partner’s skirts swung in the more lively sections.

The coming of the motor car, television and the smaller numbers of people in their more active years gradually caused the hall to be used less. Expectations of comfort also were raised and people were not so prepared to sit in sub zero temperatures for their entertainment. Attempts at electric heating were not very successful and the use of the Hall declined.

More recent years had their successes, with produce shows, old time dances, a children’s ballet class run by Miss Toase, badminton, a play school, discos and bingo. The 1977 Jubilee dinner and concert was a very enjoyable event that many of you will remember,  and the years 1985/87 were particularly successful.

But despite the enthusiastic efforts of the committee and the support of the community, it became apparent that the old hall could not be maintained in a safe and usable condition. and the Trustees, headed by Mary Ogram, commissioned a study of the possible options, carried out for us by Sykes Able of Harrogate. The result you see before you today is thanks to the hard work of Bill Cowling's team and the watchful eye of Geoffrey Waters. Some details may not be quite  finished yet, but it is  sound, warm and usable.

Our ideas could not have reached fruition had it not been for the  generous help and commitment of the Local Authorities. Our most grateful thanks are due to the North Yorks County Council, The Rural Communities Council and in particular to the Amenities Committee of the Ryedale District Council without whose help we would have a major liability, rather than what you now see before you.

On behalf of the Trustees of the Oswaldkirk Village Hall, and of the whole community  I have  much pleasure in asking Councillor Daphne Stead, the Chairman of  Ryedale District Council, to open our new Village Hall.

Opening of the new Village Hall in 1988.