The Grand Opening (October 2013)

For those of you who haven’t been to the Parish Room, for a while or ever, imagine a damp, freezing cold, tatty and dark cavern with rotting floor boards, two doors disintegrating from decades of wear and weather and a porch falling to bits and full of cobwebs. Heated by those infa red toasters that burn your hair while your feet freeze; the room was unfit for use.

Undecorated for decades  the parish room was in sore need of attention. There were insufficient reserves in the Parish Council coffers for us to put the room to rights and the only users of the room were the Parish Council and the Snooker Club.

Dave Myers in collaboration with the Parish Council and The Snooker Club came up with a package that both ensured the future of the Parish Room and The Snooker Club. It was agreed that the Parish Council would spend up to £5,000 (about half of their reserves) and members of the Snooker Club would donate time and some equipment.

The team that emerged have worked tirelessly over the summer to deliver this wonderful new room.  Now the best insulated space in the village, completely water tight with efficient new heating, wiring, plumbing, internal cladding, plastering, lighting, sink, decor as well as the marvellous new facility of the pool table kindly donated by the Dobson family.

Those who have done most of the graft and given much of the equipment were.

Scott Walker (Lyth Valley Electrical) - he has done all the electrical work F.O.C.

City Electrical Factors (Kendal) - Ian Edwards (Branch Manager)

Travis Perkins Trading Company Ltd (Kendal) - Tony Fiddler (General Manager) & Roger Jackson (Office Manager).

Bromborough Paints (Kendal Paint & Colour) - Steve Spencer(Branch Manager).

Snooker Club Members:
Mike Dixon and Brian Kitchen  - Both Mike & Brian undertook most of the work, i.e. studding out, boarding, insulation, painting, etc.

David Stott - Organising, helping with insulation, painting, etc.

Antony Myers (Myers Interiors) - Plastering out.

Colin Hudson - Colin helped Antony with the plastering; (this was very kind of him as he is not a Snooker Club member).

Paul Cleasby - Helper.

Hartley Trotter for staining the external windows

Bruce Worsley,  Mary Harkness,Paula Cross and Jim Bowness for time liaising, shopping, etc.

We are delighted with the result and hope that the new Parish Room will now be used by the community more for meetings and exhibitions as well as the planned new Junior Pool Club that we hope to establish for young residents....and old too we hope...... of the parish.  There is a booking system now on the village website and the cost of a session is very reasonable at £10 all inc.  The Parish Council in recognition of the work and equipment provided by Snooker Club members has agreed to waive the rent for the room for a period of 5 years for the Snooker Club.  All in all this is a win win situation and we hope that everyone here is proud of our great new facility.
Now, as Chair of your Parish Council it gives me great pleasure to invite the illustrious and legendary snooker player Tony Knowles to cut the ribbon and declare Crosthwaite and Lyth Parish Room open.
Mary Harkness Chair Crosthwaite and Lyth Parish Council.