Dear Editor
u In your 200th issue, page 2 carried a request from Beauchamp Parish Council for ideas for marking 'The Millennium'-and, just above it, an item asking whether Kibworth should be doing something to encourage the Arts at the turn of the century. The answer to both seemed to me to be right opposite on page 3 - an excellent article by Tim Claydon about progress with the Grammar School Hall project.
I have to say that I think your newspaper has recently emphasised only the inevitable problems encountered by the project rather than the many potential benefits that it can bring to the area, especially in the field of the Arts. I was very glad to learn, therefore, that we may look forward to a column about progress with the hall in each future issue.
When I was organising the 1976 Kibworth Festival, which involved hundreds of people from all sections of the local community, the lack of a proper stage in the village and of daytime exhibition space during school terms was a problem. This was still the case when we tried, unsuccessfully, to stage another Festival in 1996.
The new Hall can fill this gap - hopefully tempting back the Drama Group as well as many other drama, music and dance activities. Thus it can supplement in many ways the facilities at, and the work done by, the Community Centre and the present Village Hall in Station Street.
It will provide additional and bigger facilities for, amongst other things, exhibitions (art, craft, history, commercial and others), displays, concerts, dances, public meetings, clubs and group meetings, lectures (especially if a raked lecture area can be provided), as well as private and commercial functions.
I believe strongly, therefore, that the successful completion of this project is the ideal way for our community to mark the millennium as it will provide a wonderful, tangible and lasting new amenity for the area.
But to make it really successful, everyone will need to give wholehearted support, as well as helping with whatever fund-raising is needed for such things as stage lighting, furniture and other equipment.
I put this proposal to Beauchamp Parish Council in response to their request and found that they had had no other suggestion. I do hope,therefore, that they - and Harcourt and Smeeton Councils too - will support the idea so that we can have a Millennium Hall - though hopefully by some other name!
Therefore I am writing to ask that, subject to you receiving any other and better suggestion, the Chronicle actively promotes the idea and encourages, co-ordinates and publicises the efforts of all local groups to support and fund the work of the Grammar School Hall Committee - in much the same way as the Leicester Mercury is doing county-wide.
© Bryan Porteous, Kibworth. April 1998
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© Kibworth & District Chronicle 1998