A memorial hall built to commemorate a village’s First World War dead has been given a major makeover by a housing association and a construction group.
The Memorial Hall Institute in Llandudno Junction was built in the 1920s using bricks shipped from Flanders, in Belgium, the scene of many of the great battles of the war, and its foundation stone was laid in 1927 by Lloyd George.
He was presented with a silver trowel by the Rose Queen of the year 1927, Olga Hughes, and in 1928 the official opening took place on Good Friday with a local war veteran, Thomas ap Rhys, cutting the ribbon.
It has remained a focal point of the community but was badly in need of refurbishment until Cartrefi Conwy and Brenig Construction came to the rescue.
They have carried out a £10,000 renovation with a new disabled cloakroom and a widened corridor to make the historic building, whose memorial also includes the names of the fallen of the Second World War, fit for the 21st century.
Cartrefi Conwy Community Regeneration Manager Owen Veldhuizen said: “We have a history of going beyond providing social housing and building new affordable homes but also bringing community benefits to the places where we operate.
“This is an ethos we share with our contractor, Brenig Construction, and we try to do that wherever we have a major new contract such as the redevelopment we have carried out at the nearby former school Ysgol Maelgwn which was a flagship scheme for us.
“Brenig have the skills to plan and carry out a scheme like this which would take much longer to organise for a community group and this is a perfect example of us working with a local community group to deliver something they needed.”
Brenig Construction Joint Managing Director Howard Vaughan said: “Wherever we are working we like to be able to use our expertise to provide some added value for the local area.
“I’m from just down the road in Glan Conwy and I have lived in Llandudno Junction but I didn’t know about the Memorial Hall which is a really fantastic facility for the village and one that has been well used for almost a hundred years.
“Hopefully, the work we have carried out here by donating labour and materials and the same from our local contractors, Rendtek Ltd, A Pitman Plumbing & Heating Services, decorator Ant Moore, Base Architecture & Design and OR Electrical Ltd, will ensure the Hall continues to be a big part of the community for many more years.”
The Hall, on Penrhos Avenue, is used seven days a week for activities as varied as dog training, amateur dramatics and morris dancing as well as keep fit sessions, baby massage, children’s groups, parties and community events including the Armistice Day Service of Remembrance and wreath laying each November.
Hall Treasurer Pat Hart said: “It’s a wonderful building and many of us can remember first coming here as children.
“Burt we really needed these facilities because we have people who are disabled and wheelchair-users who want to use our facilities and now they can.
“It wasn’t just a question of funding the work because we wouldn’t have known where to start organising that but they came up with all the answers – Brenig even sent an architect here to get the ball rolling.
“Now we’re hoping to hear from some more local tradespeople because we could do with some help decorating the building.”
