PUBS AND CLUBS
WRENINGHAM & DISTRICT WOMEN'S INSTITUTE - 1943 INAUGURATION AND EARLY YEARS - THE ASHWELLTHORPE CONNECTION
The first meeting of what became the Women's Institute took place in Ontario, Canada, in 1897 and Institutes quickly spread all over Canada. By 1915, the first WI had been inaugurated in the UK – on 16 September 1915 – in Anglesey, Wales. With its professed aims to revitalise rural communities and to increase food supplies by encouraging women to become more involved with growing and preserving food, the WI was quickly embraced by countrywomen throughout the UK and the Norfolk Federation of Women's Institutes was set up in 1919.
The village of Wreningham abuts Ashwellthorpe and the founder of the Wreningham & District Women's Institute, was Mrs Dorothy M Folwell, who had been born in Ashwellthorpe on 8 September 1893, to William and Elizabeth Bothway nee Quantrell of Canal House [aka Ashwellthorpe Grange]. On 7 April 1915 at All Saints' Church, Wreningham, she married Horace Folwell who, at that time, farmed at Newfound Farm, Cringleford, Norwich, [which now encompasses the John Innes Institute]. Whilst living in Cringleford, Mrs Folwell had been a founder member of Cringleford Women's Institute. In the early years of World War 2, the Folwells had farmed at Middle Farm, Barnham Broom.
Dorothy Folwell's father died on 15 November 1941 at Canal House and it was in the months following, that the Folwell family moved to live and farm there and, of course, this led to the WI start-up. Wreningham and District Women's Institute was formed on Thursday 11 March 1943 with temporary committee members being Mrs Dorothy Folwell (Ashwellthorpe), Mrs Victor Long, Mrs Quantrell (both Wreningham) and Miss Muskett (Ashwellthorpe). It was agreed that meetings would be held on Tuesdays at 2.30 p.m. at the home of Mrs Folwell, Canal House, Ashwellthorpe. This temporary committee decided that at the first full meeting, WI Rules would be read out, there should be some form of entertainment and there would be a "co-operative" tea to which everybody should contribute.
There was no village hall in Wreningham at this time so the monthly meetings and committee meetings were held at Canal House, Ashwellthorpe. Some of the other known early Ashwellthorpe members were: Miss Battersby, Mrs Garwood, Mrs Lawn, Mrs Mowser, Mrs Myhill, Mrs Rushmore, Miss Shearing and Miss Whitehand. I do not know why the WI did not meet at Ashwellthorpe Village Hall – perhaps it was regularly booked up by others, perhaps it was because the majority of new members lived in Wreningham. I should add at this point that Canal House/Ashwellthorpe Grange is located just off Toprow, Wreningham on its boundary with the parish of Ashwellthorpe, and is much more aligned in many ways, to Wreningham than to Ashwellthorpe.
Its first monthly members' meeting on 13 April 1943 was attended by 34 members and Miss Gates – the voluntary County Organiser – read extracts from the WI Rules. Entertainment was given by Miss Nelson of Barford who played popular tunes and community songs on the piano and accordion. A ballot was held to choose Committee members, with 12 being elected; 17 others had been nominated. This was followed by its first Committee meeting at Canal House, Ashwellthorpe.
There is an article on the activities of the Wreningham & District WI during the war years of 1943-1945 on the WARTIME - WRENINGHAM & DISTRICT WOMEN'S INSTITUTE page.
All Wreningham & District WI meetings were held at Canal House until 1951 when the village of Wreningham gained its first village hall - an old Nissen hut from the wartime airfield of Hethel, another neighbouring village to Wreningham, and WI members made the curtains for the Hall.
Matters of community interest were discussed and acted upon by this WI, e.g. "housing circulars" received in March 1945 (thought to be information etc. sent from Government to community organisations about available Government aid for rehousing and repairing damaged houses in rural areas). This WI passed these on to Ashwellthorpe and Fundenhall, and Wreningham Parish Councils for completion by 12 May 1945. Questionnaires were completed about the state of sewerage and drainage in the village; white line road markings on roads in the village and the possibility of a travelling dispensary were discussed; and members participated in the national Anti-Litter campaign. This WI provided amusements for the children at the village Easter Fair and for entertainment by WI members for the OAPs.
And so the Wreningham & District Women's Institute continued…………….. meetings were held at the Wreningham Village Hall until November 1978 when the Nissen Hut was demolished to make way for a new purpose-built hall, designed by Tony Cleary, the architect who lived in Ashwellthorpe. The WI removed to Ashwellthorpe Village Hall at this time, where it stayed until its temporary closure during the COVID pandemic, subsequent fall in attendance numbers and lack of readiness of the new village hall in Ashwellthorpe.
The Wreningham & District Women's Institute restarted in 2023 with meetings held at the King's Head Public House, Ashwellthorpe, and then returned to Wreningham Village Hall in 2025 where it still meets at 2.00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.
Sources: Wreningham & District Women's Institute Minute Books and Attendance Registers; Parish Registers, Norfolk Record Office; Census Returns, www.findmypast.com
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ASHWELLTHORPE WORKING MEN'S CLUB
During the 19thC, alcohol use and drunkenness were considered by some to be the pathway to social disintegration and various societies were set up to campaign against alcohol. The Church of England Temperance Society was formed in the 1860s recommending total abstinence and the Working Men's Clubs and Institute Union was founded on 14 June 1862, with Rev. Henry Solly (Unitarian Minister) and Rev. JH Ryder as Joint Secretaries. Its manifesto stated the Union's aims: "This union is formed for the purpose of helping working men to establish Clubs or Institutes where they can meet for conversation, business and mental improvement, with the means of recreation and refreshment, free from intoxicating drinks; these clubs, at the same time, constituting societies for mutual helpfulness in various ways……" Some three years later, this Union agreed that there would no longer be any restriction on the sale of beer in member clubs
And it was with the background of this Temperance movement that the Rev. James H Anderson (who had been ordained Curate of Wreningham and Ashwellthorpe on Sunday 27 May 1877 and who lived in the Church house next to All Saints) organised a public meeting to be held in the Ashwellthorpe schoolroom on the evening of Monday 11 March 1878.
This meeting was to discuss the possibility of opening a Coffee and Reading Room/Working Men's Club and this idea had the support of Colonel James Gubbins (who was to become its President), a retired Army officer who had fought and been injured at Inkerman in the Crimean War and was the present tenant of Ashwellthorpe Hall, and the Rev. JW Upcher, the Rector of Wreningham and Ashwellthorpe. Mr William Dewing who had purchased Yew Tree Farm with several farm cottages in May 1865 (not part of the Berners' Ashwellthorpe Estate), had given one of these cottages for the use of the club and it had already been fitted up most carefully by others.
Rev. Anderson said he hoped the club, which would be open every night from 7.00 to 10.00 p.m. except on Sundays, "would be a centre of sound instruction as well as rational amusement in the parish". Books, magazines and newspapers would be supplied as well as games of chess, draughts, dominoes, solitaire and go-bang and coffee would be provided at a penny per mug.
Also present was the Rev John Cholmeley of Carleton Rode who, according to the Norwich Mercury of 13 March, spoke to the meeting "in a highly amusing and witty style" counselling the men of Ashwellthorpe to avoid the public house. The public house, he said, "amongst its temptations, had usually the most comfortable, warmest and best lighted room in the parish. It would no longer be so in Ashwellthorpe" which, at that time, had three public Houses – Baker's Arms, King's Head and White Horse; so this idea might not have been quite so well received by the landlords! Another speaker was the Rev JD Ballance, vicar of Horsford, who not only advised the men of Ashwellthorpe to avoid the public house, but also the drink.
Those present then adjourned to the new clubroom where coffee was supplied along with the promised papers and magazines. The games were "heartily engaged in" and singing was added "to the happiness of a most pleasant evening".
The Norwich Mercury concluded its report "The start of the Ashwellthorpe Working Men's Club is an undoubted success". Nothing more is known about the success/longevity of the Ashwellthorpe Working Men's Club. However, in later years there was a local branch of the Church of England Temperance Society which held a meeting in Ashwellthorpe Schoolroom on 4 November 1885 – not in the Working Men's Clubroom – when the Norfolk News reported that the speaker "in a most earnest manner" detailed the great benefits of total abstinence and the incalculable harm done by intemperance and unnecessary expenditure on alcoholic drinks. The newspaper went on to report that the audience "consisting chiefly of working men and youths, were generally pleased with the speaker's remarks".
Sources: Norfolk Chronicle 9 March 1878; Norwich Mercury 13 March 1878; "The Temperance Movement", Chapter 8, by Rob Donovan; Eastern Evening News 9 November 1885; Norfolk News 14 November 1885
ASHWELLTHORPE FOOTBALL CLUB
ASHWELLTHORPE FOOTBALL CLUB TEAM - 1925-1926 SEASON
The above is a picture of the Ashwellthorpe Football Club Team from the 1925-1926 Season, photographed outside the White Horse Public House. All team members and officials are known and they are:
Back Row - left to right: Miles Battleday (Secretary), Robert Harvey, Harold Land, Sam Harvey and Maur(ice) Lawn (President)
Centre Row - left to right: Jimmy Nickalls, Jimmy Land and Eric Shearing
Front Row - left to right: Harry Land, Alfred Clitheroe, Roger Wade, Bernard Gibbons and Harry Wade
ASHWELLTHORPE FOOTBALL CLUB TEAM - 1928-1929 SEASON
Here is a picture of the Ashwellthorpe Football Club team - winners of the Wymondham and District Football League, in the 1928-1929 season - photogaphed outside The White Horse public house. The only person known at present is JAMES FOREY (Middle Row, third from left) who lived in Tacolneston and was chauffeur for a Major Gribble at Tacolneston Hall.
Other teams playing in that League then were: Barnham Broom, Bawburgh,Dereham Reserves, Diss Reserves, Great Moulton, Harleston, Hethersett, Hingham Reserves, Mulbarton, Spooner Row, Thetford Reserves, Wicklewood and Winfarthing.
If anyone recognises any other team members from nearly 100 years ago, information would be very welcome.
FILM CLUB
FILM NIGHTS AT (the old) ASHWELLTHORPE VILLAGE HALL
Although the old village hall in Ashwellthorpe had sometimes shown Norfolk archive films in the past, it held successful film evenings - organised by its Village Hall Committee, Autumn to Spring c. 2010 to 2020 on occasional Friday/Saturday evenings. Four villagers were trained as pairs of projectionists - Morris Bushell/ John Preston; and Brian Mondin/Gordon Robbie. Tickets were always sold at £4 in advance and £5 on the night with attendances of near 40 and each film making a profit for village hall funds after the film-hiring expenses etc. It showed mostly A-listed films usually within a couple of months of their general release and had its own large screen which was sited up on the stage. The old village hall acoustics seemed well-balanced and clear, mainly owing to its wooden roof, so the sound was good too. The films were ordered from Moviola and Village Screen and other equipment needed was provided by Creative Arts East, then with a base in Wymondham, which is a local authority- and Arts Council-funded organisation that enables various cultural activities - in this case Cinema - to become more accessible to various groups of people.
The COVID pandemic and its restrictions put an end to the regular film-showing in the old Village Hall in Spring 2020 and, since then, the hall has become Bramble Bears Playgroup and, unfortunately, the new community Hall - Thorpe Hall - has not continued with this form of village entertainment and support. Other local village halls have taken up this idea and have regular film evenings.
Here are the films shown from 2010 onwards:
2010 October The Ghost (Writer) with Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan
2010 November My Name is Khan with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol
2011 February Made in Dagenham with Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins and Miranda Richardson
2011 October The Athlete a portrait of the Marathon runner Abebe Bikila
2011 November Senna documentary film with archive footage of Ayrton Senna and many other motor racing personnel
2012 October The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, Ronald Pickup, Maggie Smith, Tom WIlkinson, and Penelope Wilton
2016 February Suffragette with Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan, Helene Bonham Carter
2016 September Florence Foster Jenkins with Meryl Streep and Hugh
2016 October Learning to Drive with Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson
2016 November The Man who knew Infinity with Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons
2017 February I, Daniel Blake with Dave Johns and Hayley Squires
2017 March Deepwater Horizon with Dylan O'Brien, Kate Hudson, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Kurt Russell, Mak Wahlberg
2017 April A United Kingdom with David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike
2017 September Hidden Figures with Octavia Spencer, Taraji P Henson, Janelle Monae
2017 October The Zookeeper's Wife with Johan Heidenbergh, Jessica Chastain, Daniel Bruhl and Timothy Radford
2017 November Whisky Galore with Gregor Fisher, Eddie Izzard and James Cosmo
2018 January Victoria and Abdul with Judi Dench and Ali Fazal
2018 February Hampstead with Diane Keaton and Brendan Gleeson
2018 March Goodbye Christopher Robin with Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie and WillTilston/Alec Lawther as Christopher Robin aged 8 ad 18
2018 April Film Stars Don't Have To Die in Liverpool with Jamie Bell, Annette Bening and Julie Walters
2018 September The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society with Lily James, Tom Courtenay and Penelope Wilton
2018 October On Chesil Beach with Saiorse Ronan, Billy Howle and Samuel West
2018 November The Bookshop with Emily Mortimer, Bill Nighy and Patricia Clarkson
2019 February Madame with Toni Collette, Harvey Keitel and Rossy de Palma
2019 March Bohemian Rhapsody with Rami Malek
2019 April Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again with Meryl Streep/Lily James, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth
2019 October Rocketman with Taran Egerton and Jamie Bell
2019 November Yesterday with Himesh Patel and Lily James
2020 March Judy with Renee Zellweger [cancelled due to COVID pandemic]
Other films booked for Spring 2020, also cancelled, were Downton Abbey and 1917. The film club did not restart.