Ongar and District Community Association Events:
· What a great night we had at the first Live at The Budworth. Scam 69 were brilliant and had people up and dancing. Several requests were made for them to return, so watch this space
· The next Live At The Budworth event will be Brentwood Mac performing on Saturday November 14th Save the date! Full details and ticket link available on our website and social media pages.
· Our June Comedy Club night was another sell out. The next one is on Friday 11th September. To avoid disappointment, book your tickets early.
News
Many people have commented on the sad fact that the iconic clock in the Budworth Bell Tower has remained stationary at 12 0’clock for so long. I am pleased to report that by the time this is published, the hands of the clock, which was installed to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, should have moved from 12 o’clock once again! It was due to be repaired sometime in June, so fingers crossed!
A Brief History of Budworth Hall Part 5
The ballroom continued
During the First World War, from 1914 to 1919, Budworth Hall was used as a hospital for sick and wounded servicemen. Known as the Budworth Hall Auxiliary Hospital, it was run by the Essex/32 Voluntary Aid Detachment. Recovering officers stayed at nearby Blake Hall.
A photograph taken in 1914 show nurses and soldiers outside the hall and the Commandant (Matron) Miss Jones with her team of 29 nurses, many of whom were local women. The hospital’s first patients were mainly Belgian soldiers brought to England to recover from their injuries.
When it opened, the hospital had 35 beds spread across two wards in the Ballroom and upstairs Concert Hall. A temporary extension was added in 1917, increasing capacity to 60 beds.
The hospital was linked to Colchester Military Hospital and remained in operation until 22 January 1919. During that time, it cared for around 1,333 soldiers.
On a wall of the Bar there is an oil painting showing the Ballroom in use as a Military Hospital. Painted by George Rose, a local Artist, the painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1916. The picture was presented to Ongar and District Community Association by NHS West Essex when the Ongar and District War Memorial Hospital closed in 2008. Ther are also pictures on our website.
Next time you are in the ballroom, you might want to close your eyes and imagine what it must have been like back then.
Hire and Contact details
For enquiries regarding hiring our facilities, please email budworthhall-ongar@outlook.com or call 07918 462959 if email isn’t available.
Visit our website www.budworthhall.co.uk for photos, information, events and availability
Nerissa and Claire’s coffee bar and restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday.
Jane Battersby for The Ongar and District Community Association.