Bar Hill Parish Council: WHAT IS THE RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION?

The Bar Hill Residents’ Association

The inaugural meeting of the Residents’ Association took place on 20^th October 1967 attended by 27 residents, representing most of the families then living in Bar Hill. It resolved, particularly, to raise funds to promote the interests of the village and to keep residents informed of matters of interest to them.

Mr ‘Bob’ Burry was elected chairman, who, two months later, edited the first Bar Hill Newsletter. Its aim was to keep residents informed of matters affecting them and, therefore, should be delivered free of charge to every house in the village. This remains unchanged to this day. It was not until 1975 that it became the Bar Hill News. At first, residents paid an annual subscription to the Association, and it was not, until many years later, that the arduous task of committee members going door-to-door collecting subscriptions was replaced by income from advertising in the Bar Hill News.

In September 1968, the Residents’ Association organised the first Bar Hill Fête, and ‘after many pangs and doubts’ was a success ‘beyond the most optimistic forecasts of its organisers’. Despite the Fête in 1969 being ‘bigger and brighter’, that in 1970 was cancelled because of lack of support. It was revived by the Association in July 1972 and has been held annually ever since. Its aim, as then, is that it should be a fête encompassing the whole village, not the ‘Residents’ Association’ Fête. At about the same time, the first November 5^th celebration was held, with fireworks bought by the Association and a guys’ competition. Following an outbreak in vandalism in 1994, the bonfire was discontinued, though the annual fireworks’ display was held until 2010.

Funds raised by advertising in the Bar Hill News provides assistance to clubs and organisations in the village. This was laid down in an agreement with the Parish Council in March 1971 along with publishing the Bar Hill News and ‘fostering community spirit’. Originally, the latter also included providing a welcome pack for new residents, holding village dances to which they were specifically invited and publishing a village directory.

Finding committee members has always been a problem; as early as 1979 too few residents attended the Annual General Meeting to form a committee, the number made up by co-options afterwards. Had more ‘new blood’ come along in recent years, it is possible that Bar Hill would still have its fireworks night for many years to come.

If you would like to join the Residents' Association please come to one of our meetings at the Parish Council Office. They are held on the second Monday of the month, at 8 pm. There is no meeting in August. If you would just like to see what goes on without any obligation to join we shall still be happy for you to come to one or all of our meetings!