© 2000 - 2021 Langham Village History Group - Langham in Rutland
Langham Institute and Reading Room
Langham
Institute
started
as
a
Reading
Room
for
the
men
in
the
village
in
1885
and
its
numbers
increased
such
that
the
cottage
room
in
which
it
was
held
became
too
small.
Major
Brocklehurst
(later
to
become
Lord
Ranksborough)
presided
at
an
AGM
of
the
Institute
which
decided
to
secure
a
site
for
a
suitable
building.
Plans
were
drawn
and
the
Earl
of
Gainsborough
provided
a
site
of
about
1
/
10
th
acre.
Money
towards
the
£290
estimated
cost
was
raised
through
a
subscription
appeal,
particularly
from
local
Landowners
and
Gentry.
The
building
completed
in
1891
consisted
of
a
small
reading room and large hall with a lean-to store for fuel and a chemical toilet added a little later.
The
Deed
of
Grant,
dated
14th
September
1891,
shows
the
Earl
of
Lonsdale
(
of
Lonsdale
Belt
fame
),
the
Earl
of
Gainsborough
and
Major
Brocklehurst
as
the
initial
Trustees
under
the
1853
Charity Trust
Act
and
states
the
object
of
the
Langham
Institute
was
to
promote
social
intercourse,
moral
and
mental
improvement
and
rational
enjoyment
for
the
inhabitants
of
Langham
and
their
friends'.
Ordinary members paid an entrance of 6d and then 1s per quarter, with a minimum age of fifteen.
The
Reading
Room
was
open
all
day
and
provided
with
newspapers
and
magazines
having
an
open
fire
lit
in
the
morning
in
winter.
The
men
used
the
membership
system
to
give
them
exclusive
use
of
the
Reading
Room,
women
were
only
allowed
in
to
clean
and
lay
the
fire.
When
not
booked
for
special
events
such
as
dances
and
concerts
the
main
Hall,
with
two
open
fires,
was
open
in
the
evenings
and
used
for
games
having
a
small
billiard
table,
table
skittles
and
card
tables.
One
night
in
1928
Lord
Lonsdale
as
a
Trustee
looked
in
and
said
that
if
his
horse
won
in
the
St
Leger
the
next
day
he'd
buy
them
a
new
billiard
table.
The
horse
won
and
he
supplied
a
three-quarter
table
(a full size would not go through the door).
A
popular
figure
in
the
Reading
Room
was
`Tuppy'
Needham,
known
as
the
`local
dictionary'
who
taught
and
helped
members
with
their
reading.
Later
when
he
became
blind
he
continued
to
help
by
getting
members
to
spell
out
words
they
couldn't
understand.
A
Mr
George
Goldbourne
also
helped with teaching but his bald head suffered attacks from the teenagers elastic catapults.
Other
notable
local
Gentry
who
took
an
interest
in
the
Institute,
but
not
generally
attending,
were
Lord
Gretton,
Sir
Henry
Clarke-Jervoise,
Mr
Owen
Smith
(who
became
a
trustee
in
1930)
and
Mr George
Ruddle.
George
Ruddle
organised
boxing
tournaments
and
was
a
victim
of
a
prank
which
went
wrong.
One
night
the
younger
members
decided
to
annoy
the
older
ones
by
going
outside
and
using
a
pin,
some
string
and
a
button
caused
it
to
tap
against
the
window.
Two
of
the
seniors
guessed
what
was
happening
and
picked
up
a
mat
and
stood
by
the
door
to
catch
the
culprits
when
they
came
in.
Unfortunately
the
teenagers
ran
off
and
it
was
Mr
Ruddle
who
decided
to
visit
and
as
he
walked
in
got
thrown
out
with
the
mat.
The
two
seniors
were
expelled
but
re
-
admitted six months later.
By
1935
the
W.I.
and
the
Mothers
Union
were
regular
users
of
the
Hall
and
women's
names
began
to appear on the members list.
Between
1940
and
1945
the
Hall
was
used
as
classrooms
for
wartime
evacuees.
By
1949
the
Reading
Room
was
little
used
and
it
was
closed
to
members.
1953
saw
the
Institute
brought
under
the
1939
Charities
Act
transferring
the
vested
interest
from
the
trustees
to
the
Charity Commissioner
and
dismantling
the
membership
system.
So
all
residents
became
members
without any fees. In the same year a new entrance lobby and toilets were completed.
Use
by
the
Education
Committee
between
1962
and
1971
for
school
meals
required
an
upgraded
kitchen
area
which
had
been
made
by
partitioning
off
an
area
at
the
end
of
the
Hall.
In
1982
the
Hall's
name
was
changed
from
Langham
Institute
to
Langham
Village
Hall.
With
the
Hall
centenary
approaching
an
extension
was
proposed
and
numerous
money
making
ventures
culminated
in
a
refurbishment
of
the
ladies'
toilets
and
an
extension
incorporating
a
large
kitchen,
a
storeroom
and
a
gents'
toilet.
Disabled persons' toilet facilities and some double glazing were completed for the Millennium.
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