It is thought that the idea of building a Village Hall in Sharrington was first discussed at meetings of the Ladies’ Knitting Group who made gloves, socks and scarves for members of the armed forces during the Second World War.

At the time, the farm manager and his wife (Tom & Marjorie Sterland) lived in Sharrington Hall. As Chairman of the Parish Council and responsible for hosting events like the annual fête, Marjorie was an important figure in the community and well connected outside the village. Not only was she responsible for persuading the local land owner, Sir Dymock White, to donate the land on which the hall was to be built but she also negotiated the necessary funding with the Department of Education.

In 1951 Sharrington Village Hall was established as a charity with founding principles which reflected the educational and recreational needs of a post war generation.

The hall was built with the help of those who lived in the estate cottages and was opened in 1953. Photographs on display in the hall record the opening ceremony and feature the guests of honour, Joy Davies and Leslie Bowmar (well known actors of the time who played Helen and George Fairbrother in the Archers), Tom and Marjorie Sterland, the Reverend Lowe (Rector of the parish) and Mary Lee presenting a bouquet. The clock which hangs above the door was presented by Sidney Massingham , a local preacher at the chapel. Look closely and you will see his name on the numerals around the clock face. The wooden parquet flooring established a reputation during the 50’s and 60’s as being the best dance floor for miles around.

By 1979 the Hall was in need of significant refurbishment. An enlarged committee of many talents assembled under the chairmanship of Derek Harris set about raising funds for the necessary work by arranging a variety of activities. Elsie Moore ran whist drives every Friday evening. Dick & Dorothy Page ran a newly formed 100 Club. Regular dance classes, the brainchild of George Moore, were a great hit. Phil & Joy Connolly set up and ran a carpet bowls club.

The Grand Christmas Draw and the Christmas Bingo attracted a huge following. Up to 10,000 raffle tickets were sold each year with more than a hundred businesses across north Norfolk providing raffle prizes to support the fund raising effort.

The committee enjoyed a very good relationship with Keith Skipper who hosted a talk show on Radio Norfolk and he helped to advertise and promote village hall events.

Between 1983 and 1988 the committee raised £18,000 towards the cost of the refurbishment works. Windows were replaced, paraffin heaters gave way to new electric fires, the roof was insulated, a properly equipped kitchen and bar were installed, the area around the hall was laid out as a gravelled car park, wooden table tops were made and chairs re-upholstered. Much of the building work was undertaken by George Moore but many residents helped out by joining working parties on Saturday mornings. And, while all this work was going on, the hall (rather like the Windmill) never closed!

The works were finished in 1988 and the hall was ready for re-opening. The committee decided to mark the event with a celebration bringing together all those who had been involved with the hall over the years.

What better than to get members of the cast of the Archers to attend the ceremony just as they had when the hall was originally opened in 1953? Derek Harris made contact with the producer of the programme who agreed that two of the principal stars of the show, June Spencer (Peggy Woolley/ Archer) and Patricia Greene (Jill Patterson/Archer), should attend.

There was a full page article in the Eastern Daily Press when Ralph Howell MP came to the hall to promote the forthcoming celebration and to highlight the Sharrington Community Bus which was founded in the 1970’s and said to be the first of its type in the country.

With help from Keith Skipper and Radio Norfolk many people who had previous connection with the hall were contacted. So, on the day, Sir John White (whose grandfather had donated the land on which the hall was built), the former village police constable, June Spencer and Patricia Greene were joined by former winners of the annual Miss Sharrington beauty competition (which attracted contestants from across the county) and members of the musical troupe who regularly appeared at the hall, Miss Vicky and her Juveniles.

The re-opening was a great success. TV news coverage was by Kim Riley (now senior reporter for Look East). Bouquets were presented by Mary Lee’s daughter, Alison, a reflection of 1953 when her mother had performed the same role. The event was marked by the presentation to the hall of a book on the Archers series signed by the cast which remains on display in the hall to this day