Corner House & Memorial Hall news

Wed 1 Apr, 12:00 (last edited on Wed 1 Apr, 17:03)

It's your Corner House & Memorial Hall, of which a few of us are merely the trustees .. and so we're keen both to have it used in the way that you want and also to keep you fully informed in the process.  As part of that, we intend to provide monthly updates (at least when there's anything to report) about what's happening in & to the buildings.  When something's newsworthy enough we'll do a 'Latest News' item at the top of this page .. but this month we've just a few updates for you.

Barring surprises, we expect three items to predominate this year.

• The first is the provision of refurbished toilets.  With the impending closure of the toilets in the Co-op building, we regard this as a priority.  The recent planning application, now withdrawn, did not emanate from the trustees. Our own plans are more modest financially and less intrusive architecturally, involving no alteration to the outside of the building.  When we're a little further on with this we'll share the details more fully - but do feel free to ask if you want to know more sooner.
• We're keen to put the Museum on a more secure, and professional, footing with us.  They're a highly valued tenant of ours, but their last proper lease expired some decades ago and it will benefit both us & them to update things.  We're keen to give them more explicit security of tenure (a prerequisite for their increased fund-raising), and in return to receive a more-than-peppercorn rent from them.  All parties are keen to achieve this, but the legalities are proving excruciatingly slow.
• The Deli & Café are a most welcome addition to our site, bringing greater footfall and increased bookshop revenue in addition to what they directly offer.  We're delighted that their future now looks more secure, and we look forward to working with them to enhance our outdoor seating area (the courtyard and lovely garden) in time for the better weather.

There are many other smaller items under development, and in the next few months we shall hold a public meeting to tell you about them and to seek your opinions about what we're doing.  Meanwhile don't hesitate to have a word with any of us -- we value your comments & suggestions!