The Memorial Hall
The Memorial Hall is owned by the parishioners of Bucklebury and run by the trustees of the
Bucklebury Memorial Hall charity.
It is available for rent both for one-off events or on a regular basis. We have three rooms which may be suitable
for your event, and it is perfect for parties and other celebrations or for a whole variety of activities.
Situated at the end of the village of Upper Bucklebury, adjoining The Common,
the hall is in a peaceful part of this quiet Berkshire village.
The car park is for the exclusive use of the Memorial Hall, the Tennis Club and those visiting the onsite play park and BMX track.
Address
Broad Lane
Upper Bucklebury
RG7 6QH
NOTE: Bucklebury consists of several hamlets and villages. There is another hall, The Victory Room, in Bucklebury Village. Please do not be tempted to follow signs to there!
Main Hall
The main hall is accessible to wheelchair users and has a floor area (excluding the stage) about 10m x 8m and can take:
- 160 guests for a party
- or 98 seated as an audience in rows
- or 88 seated at tables for a reception
There is a stage which, apart from its original purpose can be used for an entertainer, a band or a disco.
There are sufficient rectangular tables (should be 10 680x1820mm 2 680x910 though some may be in the store
room beyond the committee room) to seat 88 using our layout. There are also 8 5' round tables though less
can be seated using the round tables.
There are 98 chairs which can be laid out in rows (67 are in the chair store, the rest in the store room
beyond the committee room) or used for the above tables.
There is a fully fitted kitchen with cooker, professional warming cabinet and microwave a substantial
amount of crockery and cutlery. The cooker has 4 induction rings and 2 radiant rings. The induction rings
require steel or iron pans - the hall has a set.
NOTE: We do not supply washing up liquid, cloths or towels, and you will need to bring your own.
It is an ideal venue for:
- Children's parties - plenty of space to have an entertainer
- Teenage parties - they can have a disco and our wood floor is more tolerant than your carpet at home
- Adult parties - unless your house is huge we can cater for a much bigger event
- Weddings, christenings and other landmark family events
- Fundraising events
- Committee meetings
- Club sessions
- The heating is normally set to come on at times when the room is in use.
- The convector fans are activated by the water temperature in the pipes. When the heating is turned on or off it takes a while for the water temperature to change and the fans to start or stop.
- There is a single controller on the hall stage, located on the wall between the windows. You may advance the Main Hall zone on the controller.
- No other heating controls are user adjustable. There are covers on the switches and controls so that the fans cannot be adjusted, Users should not attempt to turn individual fans off or adjust them in any way. You can, however turn the fans on or off by pressing the ADVANCE button on the fan timer. This is the top button on the right hand side of the switch (located by the window nearest the stage).
- The hall thermostat is sealed, do NOT try to adjust it.
Oak Room
This self-contained annexe is about 9m x 6m in size, has a sprung floor covered in dance grade vinyl and toilets.
There are 10 rectangular tables (should be 8 680x1520mm and 4 680x915mm) and 40 chairs.
It has its own small kitchenette where drinks and snacks can be prepared and some food reheated.
There is a large kettle, about 40 mugs and some other crockery.
It is suitable for a variety of activities including:
- Dance classes
- Keep fit
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Small parties
- Meetings
- Education and training
- The heating is normally set to come on at times when the room is in use.
- The convector fans are activated by the water temperature in the pipes. When the heating is turned on or off it takes a while for the water temperature to change and the fans to start or stop.
-
There is a programmable thermostat which should turn the heating on and off for regular users.
Look at the temperature on the thermostat (top right but quite small). If this is set to 10º you
are in a period when the heating is normally off. PRESS THE UP ARROW on the right of the display.
Each press raises the temperature by ½.
Similarly, if it is showing 18 or 20º and you think it is too hot the DOWN ARROW reduces the temperature by ½. - Check that the fans have not been switched off. Please leave them switched on when you leave.
Committee Room
This room, 3.6m x 7.6m, is suitable for meetings of up to 20 people and is an ideal venue for:
- Club committee meetings
- Training sessions
- Education
Hiring the Hall
Booking Process
- Use the online diary provided through Hallmaster to select your date the booking and click the "+" icon on that day - Check Venue Availability
-
If you do not have a Hallmaster account, please complete the New User section to create one and click the
link in the email you will be sent to verify your email address.
If you already have an account, please log in using your existing details. -
Complete the Make Booking Request form:
- If booking the Oak Room and you wish to use the AV System, please add the "Audio Equipment" line item to your booking.
- Please set the privacy option to "Public - Contact Details Hidden" as this allows the event details to be shown to other people.
- If possible, please enter the number of people you expect to be attending. This helps us track the hall usage.
- Please note that the Estimated Cost shown on the form may not reflect the final charge.
-
Your request will go to our Bookings Secretary who will check the room availability against other
bookings we have received.
Please note that our regular users often book the hall on a term-by-term basis and so their bookings may not be visible in the diary yet. -
You will receive an email from Bookings Secretary either confirming your booking or rejecting it.
They may reach out to you via your email address to discuss alternative dates and times or to clarify a detail about your booking.
General Conditions
- Bouncy castles may only be used on the area behind the Main Hall and not inside the venue at any time.
- Rates are per hour and hirers must pay for the time they occupy the hall including setting up before the event and cleaning afterwards.
- Evening hire rates apply after 6pm.
- An Environmental Service charge of £6 is added for all hires involving food or drink (e.g. parties).
- The Hirer is responsible for leaving the hall as they found it. You are required to clean the hall after use, this includes sweeping the floors and washing up all crockery and cutlery used. You will need to allow time for this in your booking.
- We require an indemnity deposit in case of breakages, damage, additional cleaning costs or hirers overstaying the agreed times. This is refunded after the hire.
- We will send you a PayPal invoice for the hire and any indemnity deposit. For hires occurring less than 14 days after being booked, payment will be required immediately on receipt of the invoice. Otherwise, payment must be made at least 14 days before the date of the booking. Failure to pay on time will result in the booking being cancelled.
- Our public entertainment licence runs until midnight. All events must be over by then, and we also request that any loud music is turned down at 11pm so as not to disturb residents living near the hall.
- Events at which alcohol is sold or which are open to the public are covered by Temporary Entertainments Licences (TEN) obtainable from West Berks Council. All users intending to sell tickets for their event to the public, or to sell alcohol, must obtain a TEN. Details can be found on the WBC website - Apply for a Temporary Event Notice
- The use of fireworks is strictly prohibited in the venue or its grounds.
- Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited in the venue.
- Well-behaved dogs are permitted in the hall and must be kept under control at all times.
Terms and Conditions
- The management of the Hall, including use and hire, are controlled by the Management Committee whose decision on all matters will be final.
- The Management Committee or its representatives shall have the right to be on the premises during any function whether public or private.
- It is the responsibility THE HIRER to discover and adhere to any COVID guidelines issued by the government.
- THE HIRER will, during the period of the hiring, be responsible for supervision of the premises, the fabric and the contents, their care, safety from damage however slight or change of any sort and the behaviour of all persons using the premises whatever their capacity, including proper supervision of car-parking arrangements to avoid obstruction of the highway.
- THE HIRER is responsible for safety of those present at the event.
- THE HIRER undertakes to ensure that the hall is only occupied for the period of the hire which includes all setting up and clearing up time.
- THE HIRER will be responsible for the adult supervision of Parties or Events arranged exclusively for young people under 18 years of age and must remain in the Hall during the period of the booking.
- THE HIRER shall not use the premises for any purpose other than that described in the Hiring Agreement and shall not sub-hire or use the premises or allow the premises to be used for any unlawful purpose or in any unlawful way, nor do anything or bring onto the premises anything which may endanger the same or any insurance policies in respect thereof nor allow the consumption of liquor thereon without the permission of the Committee. Permission for the consumption of alcohol will not be granted for Parties or Events arranged exclusively for young people under 18 years of age.
- THE HIRER shall be responsible for obtaining such licences as may be needed for their event.
- THE HIRER shall comply with all conditions and regulations made in respect of the Fire Authority, Local Authority, the Local Magistrates Court or otherwise, particularly in connection with any event which includes public dancing or music or other similar public entertainment or stage plays.
- An INDEMNITY DEPOSIT may be required to be paid by THE HIRER to the Committee who will repay such deposit to THE HIRER less the cost of rectifying any damage caused to the premises and/or contents thereof during the period of the hiring as a result of the hiring. THE HIRER will still be liable for the full cost of any damage caused, if the cost of the rectification exceeds the indemnity deposit paid.
- THE HIRER shall indemnify the Committee for the cost of repair or any damage done to any part of the property including curtilage thereof or the contents of the buildings which may occur during the period of the hiring as a result of the hiring.
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IN THE EVENT that THE HIRER exceeds the agreed hire period:
- If the period used extends beyond midnight. THE HIRER will forfeit the deposit.
- The HIRER shall be responsible to ensure that numbers in the hall are with the limits of 100 (main hall) or 50 (Oak Room).
- The HIRER will ensure that unsupervised children under the age of 10 are not allowed in the kitchen.
- If THE HIRER wishes to cancel the booking before the date of the event and the Committee is unable to conclude a replacement booking, the question of payment or repayment of the full fee shall be at the discretion of the Committee.
- AT THE END of the hiring, THE HIRER shall be responsible for switching off all lights and leaving the premises and surrounds in a clean and tidy condition, properly locked and secured unless directed otherwise and any contents, temporarily removed from their usual positions, properly replaced, and any materials or equipment brought into the Hall removed otherwise the Committee shall be at liberty to make an additional charge.
- IN THE EVENT of the Hall or any part thereof being rendered unfit for the use for which it has been hired the Committee shall not be liable to THE HIRER for any resulting loss or damage whatsoever.
- THE HIRER will ensure:
- Fire exits are not blocked.
- There is a clear gangway to all fire exits at least 1.05m wide.
- Any aisles between tables are at least 0.8m wide.
- THE HIRER should be aware of the emergency procedures which are displayed on the notice board in the foyer of the Hall and Oak Room.
- The Committee reserves the right to cancel this hiring in the event of the Hall being required for use as a Polling Station for a Parliamentary or Local Government election or by-election, in which case the Hirer shall be entitled to a full refund of any monies already paid.
Fire Safety
If the alarm sounds you should evacuate the building before investigating the source of the fire.
EMERGENCY EXITS
Main Hall
- FRONT ENTRANCE
- REAR OF THE MAIN HALL
- DOOR AT END OF CORRIDOR TO TOILETS
- FRONT ENTRANCE
- REAR OF THE OAK ROOM
- LEAVE BUILDING BY NEAREST EMERGENCY EXIT
- MOVE AWAY FROM THE EXIT DOOR
At the commencement of the event the HIRER should advise all present of the position of the emergency exits and
that in any incident requiring evacuation of the building, after leaving the building people should move
away from the vicinity of the exit to allow free passage for all others following.
Any seating or table arrangements MUST NOT BLOCK THE FIRE EXITS, and should leave a free direct passageway
of at least 1.05m to the exit, and must be arranged so that clearly identifiable gangways are provided.
No naked flames are to be used in any rooms or service areas.
When persons in wheelchairs or other disabled persons are in attendance the HIRER should ensure that adequate
measures are taken to enable such persons to evacuate the building in an emergency, in a manner which is safe,
without undue delay, and does not cause obstruction to the other members of the public using the premises.
Any queries concerning the Health & Safety conditions should be taken up with Mike James (0118 971 2285).