We now have a brand new kitchen and serious cooker in the Village Hall - go to "read more" for all the full report from Clive Lane.
BERDEN VILLAGE HALL

I am now pleased to report that the construction work has been completed with only redecoration left to be carried out.
Any offers?

The Stoves cooker had been installed in time for Christmas and one corner drawer unit, but the major part of the work was carried out in January with the fitting of the Wickes units. These units have solid backs to avoid the previous problem of backs being pushed out by stacks of crockery! Several of the units had to be rebuilt to go around the various obstructions of pillars and services while retaining the structural integrity and internal cleanliness. I must say I was impressed with their design and the service provided, and I couldn't even find fault with the instructions!
Fisher Maintenance carried out the fitting of the worktops and tiling. I would like to thank Tony for being so flexible, working around me, and fitting in with Lettings.
A new larder fridge, required by the environmental health department, was purchased economically from the internet.
We originally limited our kitchen budget to £5,000, and in the end we achieved a total expenditure of £4,377, from which we can deduct donations of £1,075 giving a total outlay of only £3,307. Reclaiming Vat reduces this to £2,775
The biggest saving was not having to pay for fitting the units as, after 32 years in the village, I felt I should give something back, and only charged expenses. I enjoy this type of work, although I had not expected quite such a tight schedule to enable Tony Fisher to fit the work tops before he started to get busy again!

However, it was very rewarding to see the refurbished hall and kitchen heavily utilised for the very successful Chinese New Year Dance, and to hear comments of appreciation. Our thanks to the Social Club for donating £1,000 for this work. I would also like to thank those who helped with trips to the Tip, and to assist with the units, even though in the end it was often easier to call upon Sheila who was always on hand!

Now that we have better storage space in the kitchen, if anyone is clearing out and finds they have large serving dishes / platters, etc. particularly plain white or stainless steel, which hirers would find useful, we would be very grateful for them.
Please let Sheila know. Clive Lane ~ Chairman