Share your Haysbridge, Surrey assembly hall memories

by truthseeker 20 Replies latest jw friends

  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    A number of memories. But one amusing one. Our little Group used to like to sit up on the Balcony, you could spend time perusing others from there, and ignore the waffle from the platform.

    Some Little Hitler noticed the balcony seats filled up first and the main Auditorium therefore looked a little sparse, so whoever this was, decided to rope off half of the Balcony, well, that meant their were not enough seats on " our balcony", their was another Balcony the other side, but that was not all " our lot", so one of our lads took down the "Rope" and proceeded to sit his family in the formerly roped off bit, and was shortly followed by a few more from " our gang".

    Little Hitler and some other Attendants turned up to remonstrate with these rebellious Bros and Sistas , but was told that we built and paid for this Hall, and we will sit where we want !

    The roping off did not happen again. That is why I loved my Congregation, we put up with no B.S and no jumped up little twats telling us what to do !

  • St George of England
    St George of England

    I remember one year they were short of attendants so asked me if I would help out, which I did. I was on duty on the balcony on the Sunday and two brothers were talking rather loudly so I told them to be quiet while the sessions were on. I had no idea who they were but they went off and I thought no more about it. Then during the lunch break an elder from my congregation who had asked me to be an attendant came to see me and told me I should have been more tactful when speaking to people, as a complaint had been made. Apparently the two brothers were the resident caretaker and a Bethel representative.

    Not surprisingly they never asked me again!

    George

  • molybdenum
    molybdenum

    I did go to Haysbridge a couple of times. Don't really remember much about it. Just another place to go and listen to boring talks. However, I have a couple of programs in my JW file. Both at JW Assembly Hall, The Embassy, Reigate Road Dorking. Jan 1977 and Oct 1979. Some blast from the past names appear like:
    P Presland. D Pocklington. F Waterson. P North.
    I have a program for Twickenham too. July 1980 " Divine Love" District Convention with W Gooch giving the Keynote Address. Ah ... Happy days?


  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    " I have a program for Twickenham too. July 1980 " Divine Love" District Convention with W Gooch giving the Keynote Address. Ah ... Happy days?",

    I don't think I went to that, I went to one down in Plymouth if memory serves, or was Twickers the only one in the South in 1980 ?

    Whatever, can't have been " Happy days" mate, as I have no clear memory of it !

    If the Plymouth one was 1980, I remember taking the piss out of an old boy who was behind me when we sang the Songs, he had the old " whistling dentures" so every word I sang with an "S" in it I let out a whistle, and my Mrs nearly wet herself laughing !

  • Sektenkult
    Sektenkult

    Hello from the future. After 8 years again.

    Do you know for how much it has been bought 1987?

    And for how much sold, in 2008?

    Can somebody approve that it's sold or at least, that it's not in use anymore?

  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    " Can somebody approve that it's sold or at least, that it's not in use anymore?"

    If it has been sold, what do they use instead ? That Hall served a wide catchment area !

  • stan livedeath
    stan livedeath

    thankfully i was long gone before the hayes bridge era--in fact i never heard the name at all till i joined this site.

    i do remember some names mentioned--bro Ellis--is that Peter?--i knew him as a circO in the West Midlands ( UK) in the 60s.

    Wilf Gooch--branch servant . I actually liked his talk manner at assemblies. He stayed at a friends house for holidays here on the Isle of Wight.

    Ken Richmond--CircO in the same circuit mentioned above--early 70's i think--stayed at my parents house several times on circ visits. ( Birmingham )

  • BluesBrother
    BluesBrother

    I have not heard that it has closed . As far as I know it re opened after Covid. I have many memories of meeting there , I testify to the Nazi style attendants and the roping off of the Balcony…. “ You will sit where WE SAY you will sit”

    I helped ( or hindered) on occasion in the rebuilding of it.. I’m not a handyman. We assisted some days in the kitchen too , that was fun.. I remember the names mentioned on here , different era.

  • St George of England
    St George of England

    It's still in use. We have our CA's and SAD's there.

    George

  • NotFormer
    NotFormer

    St George of England: "I was on duty on the balcony on the Sunday and two brothers were talking rather loudly so I told them to be quiet while the sessions were on. I had no idea who they were but they went off and I thought no more about it. Then during the lunch break an elder from my congregation who had asked me to be an attendant came to see me and told me I should have been more tactful when speaking to people, as a complaint had been made. Apparently the two brothers were the resident caretaker and a Bethel representative.

    Not surprisingly they never asked me again!"

    Rules for thee, but not for me!

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit