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This Train Is Just Starting to Move


I remember when I was a kid, we used to watch ‘World’s Strongest Man’ every year. I was always amazed to see those men pulling a train engine along the tracks – I couldn’t understand how they could move something so massive and keep it moving.


Then I saw one of them being interviewed and he said that the hard bit was getting the train started – once you’ve done that, he said, you just have to keep taking steps and the momentum will keep the train moving along.


Just recently, that’s the feeling I’ve been having about the Workmen’s Hall. It’s starting to feel like things are happening – I can feel the momentum building. Any day now, that train is going to start inching along those tracks and then we just have to keep taking steps to keep it going.


                                                                                               

Rock ‘n’ Restoration


Well, what a weekend we’ve just had.


It was our Rock ‘n’ Restoration fundraising mini music fest on Saturday. A couple of volunteers were at the Hall from about 10am, getting ready for all the bands, making sure the place was clean and checking on lighting and sound.


At around 3pm, the rest of us arrived and the doors opened at 5pm. That’s when the crowd started arriving and they kept on arriving until after 10pm.


Special thanks to the bands – Noodlebox, Collider, I-Tones, One Wild Night and The Flew Fighters – for giving their time for free and for selling so many tickets. Because of everybody’s efforts, we made over £1,000 towards fixing the roof – only another £59,000 to go!


And thank you to the people of Caerphilly for getting behind us. We hope you all had a great time.


It was hard work and I didn’t get to bed until very early Sunday morning, but I went to sleep with a warm, fuzzy feeling, knowing that we are finally managing to make a difference.   


                                                                                                 

A Week Of Up's And Downs................


It’s been a week of ups and downs.


Our article about our new fundraising campaign was published in the Caerphilly Observer – Karina wasn’t happy about being in the picture they used, but I say that any publicity is good.


The campaign is called Raise the Roof and is aiming to raise the £60,000 we need to fix the Workmen’s Hall roof. We’re asking for people to put aside a couple of pounds a week from the beginning of April to the end of July and then donate the money to us. Not much to ask, is it?


Definitely an up.


Then, on Sunday, we had our monthly committee meeting and the usual discussion about how much money we need to find.


That was a down.


Karina told us all about the events that she’s organised in the next few months.


We were all back up again – some great bands and events, I just hope we can get an audience.


After the meeting, we took a photo of the committee to put on the wall with the other photos going back 90 years.


Another down for me – I hate having my photo taken.


But today, we found out today that we are going to get £123.67 from the South Wales Echo Wish campaign – great news! We’re up again!


That’s all going straight into the Raise the Roof fund – only £59,876.33 to go.


                                                                                                                                 

When was your first time.............


Well here it is – the first blog from Caerphilly Workmen’s Hall. Welcome and greetings from the committee – Kathy, Karina, Malcolm, Phil, Peter, Carl and Fred. Not only will you be able to come here to see what is happening at our lovely Hall, but we will also be posting our random thoughts about life, the universe and everything.


To be honest, we’ll mostly be blogging about the Hall, but you never know, a few stray deep and meaningfuls may get through.


So, to get us started, here’s a bit about Caerphilly Workmen’s Hall.


Almost 100 years ago, a group of volunteers started a welfare fund in Caerphilly and local workers started paying some of their wages into the fund every week. The welfare fund was intended to help workmen in need and to raise money to build a Hall and Institute in the town.


In 1924 (90 years ago), work started on building Caerphilly Workmen’s Hall.


In 1925, the Hall was officially opened.


It was at the heart of the community for years, providing a social and welfare centre for the workers and their families. Unfortunately, times change and for some time, Caerphilly Workmen’s Hall was only used as a bingo hall.


For the last three years, the current committee has been trying to bring it back. We want the Hall to be the community entertainment venue it deserves to be, bringing music, theatre, film and art to the people of Caerphilly.


And if you follow this blog, you’ll find out what fun and hard work that will be.