THERE has been a party to mark the completion of the latest phase of improvements to a village hall near Tenbury.

It marks the culmination of work that began a year ago at St Michael’s Village Hall when the floor was completely replaced and new under floor heating installed.

This removed a problem with a section of the old floor that was rotting and also enabled electric convector heaters, that were expensive to run and hazardous to young children, to be removed.

At the same time new modern windows with low sills were installed along with French windows linking the car park to the hall.

Since then the front of the building has been transformed and additional storage provided for chairs and other equipment. Fencing and gateposts have also been removed and the car park extended.

But this is not everything and a new phase of work to improve toilet, bar and kitchen facilities will begin in the near future.

The hall at St Michael’s has a long history and was originally a corrugated iron shed on Oldwood Common.

It was moved to its present site in 1956 with the installation of toilets, a kitchen and storage area. Then 20 years ago the iron structure was replaced with a traditional brick building.

The work on the hall has been paid for by a combination of local fund raising and grants.

Councillor Barbara Williams, the vice chairman of Malvern Hills District Council, opened the second stage of the improvement programme at an event when people were invited to look at the revitalised hall and view plans for the future.