Findochty Town Hall memories sought to help celebrate landmark centenary anniversary
A town hall’s upcoming centenary celebrations are set to provide the perfect opportunity for people to share their special memories of the venue.
Findochty Town Hall Committee are busy planning festivities for the landmark anniversary later this year and they would love to hear from people who attended dances, galas, weddings and a whole host of other events in the hall over the decades since it first opened its doors in 1925.
Joe Innes, who is drawing together any information received on the hall’s past, said: “We’d love to hear from people what the town hall means to the folk of Findochty and beyond.
“It’s not just photos we’d like to get, we want to hear people’s stories and memories. I grew up in Findochty and I remember when I was at school we had our concerts and Christmas parties in the hall.
“We’ve put up posters round the town asking for people to share their memories and photos with us, so hopefully it’ll jog some memories.
“Later this year we’d like to have an open day or evening with maybe displays of photos from the past.”
The hall has had an interesting past, including flirting with closure until the local community rode to the rescue.
Findochty Town Hall chairman Sandy Innes continued: “We don’t know an awful lot about the early history of the hall but we do know it was built by the Masons as a Masonic Hall, opening in 1925.
“After the war, in 1946, the Masons wanted to get back the money they had spent on building the hall so they sold it to the then Findochty Town Council for around £1200-1500. It became the Burgh Chambers for Findochty.
“After the reorganisation of local government in 1976 ownership of the hall passed to Moray District Council and then in 1996 to Moray Council.
“In 2018 the council decided they were going to shut the hall, along with others across Moray. There was an open meeting here and a steering group formed then, later, a committee.
“In 2022 we took on the running of the hall under lease and then did a Community Asset Transfer so it’s now owned by the community of Findochty.
“If the council had had their way the hall would’ve been flats by now and that’s one of the reasons we’re so keen to celebrate the centenary.”
The group now boast a membership in the order of 130 and the last few years have seen a transformation wrought on what was a dowdy, decaying municipal hall into a bright. modern community hub.
Anyone who has photos, stories or memorabilia they would like to share can either email centenary@findochtytownhall.co.uk or speak to any of the hall trustees
For more on what is on at the town hall, follow its Facebook page.
