Friendly bar staff!
The winter nights are beckoning and it won’t be long until the frosts return but here in the hall we’re toasty warm thanks to a new pair of clever thermostats. Our Nest thermostats can be controlled remotely, run to a schedule (that we’re still tweaking) and should ensure that we’re not wasting energy by heating an empty hall or bar, they can both be adjusted manually too but are limited to stop it becoming a sauna! Further energy savings should also be achieved from our new ambient cooling system for the cellar. This system draws in cold outside air to cool the cellar rather than using the air conditioning unit – large savings of CO2 and money can be made during the colder months so we’ve got this installed just in time for chillier nights. Speaking of CO2 savings, our solar panels have started to reduce their production now that the autumnal equinox has passed and we’re into the darker half of the year – that said, in four months we’ve produced almost 2MWh of electricity, saving almost 5000kg of CO2 and just over £300 from our bills. Meanwhile, the bar has had an upgrade with the addition of a large screen and speaker which can be used for watching TV, listening to music or simply enjoying Terry’s latest holiday photos by screen mirroring from a phone.
Our bookings continue to be busy (svhall.co.uk) and lots of parties, functions and celebrations have been successfully held throughout the year, all ably assisted by our growing team of volunteers – several new bar helpers have been shown the ropes lately and the more the merrier ensures that it’s not the same faces every night! If you’re at all interested in helping the team in any capacity then please get in touch via the website or Facebook page. The Friday night bar is still being well supported and we’re looking good to continue it throughout the winter – again none of this could continue without our volunteers so a big thank you to all!
Finally, there’s an embryonic plan to hold an informal, family friendly New Year’s Eve party for the village along the lines of a bit of music, some bubbly, a bite to eat (everyone could bring a dish) and the obligatory countdown to midnight – there’s a small team of volunteers who would love some extra help; the plan is to keep the costs to a minimum and make it a village and family-centred night for everyone.
Next year we’ll continue the theme and plan some more social functions for the village – such as a film night, quiz night, tapas evening, Eurovision night, Summer Ball… this is our hall so whatever is wanted we can make it happen. If any of this sounds like your cup of tea and you fancy organising a night for the village then get in touch and we’ll help you in every way we can as the hall takes a lot of running behind the scenes so the committee are more than happy for people to step in and take charge for a night – we’ll give you every bit of support so you won’t be on your own!
Ben Williams
Chair