Let's thank the Foresters

The much-loved home of Copythorne & District Royal British Legion was formerly owned by The Ancient Order of Foresters.  Court Stanley was established as a local branch of the Foresters in 1882.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries their early meetings were held at the White Hart in Cadnam until, in 1908, meetings moved to the New Inn, Bartley, (now known as The Haywain).

The Foresters Hall, built on a small plot of land on the opposite side of the Southampton Road,  became the home of Court Stanley in 1922.  From that time Court monthly meetings have been held in the hall.  From the start the hall was available for hire.

In the 1940's, 50s and 60s the hall was home for the Thursday night cinema.  A cinematographer, Roy, would arrive in his van and put on 5.15pm and 7.30pm film shows.  The programmes had a main feature film supported by a serial or a short film, cartoons and Pathe News.  Order was maintained by Mrs Cooper's torch and if necessary, as a last resort, Roy would stop the film.  1950s technology was not that sophisticated and sometimes the film would stop all on its own.

The Copythorne Branch is born

The Copythorne Branch of the Royal British Legion was formed in 1927. 

After some 30 years of fundraising and welfare the Branch members lost interest.

However, in 1965 the Copythorne Royal British Legion Branch experienced something of a revival, its growing membership including some very active ex-servicemen. The meetings were held in the New Inn Hall at the rear of the public house (now the Haywain). From 1965 John Wilkins produced the first of a series of very successful pantomimes that were performed initially at St Matthews Hall in Netley Marsh.

The Seventies

When Copythorne Parish Hall opened in 1970 the popular pantomime productions moved  into the village and the repertoire was extended to Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.  It was in one such production that a twelve year old schoolgirl Claire Rutter took to the stage, Claire is now an international operatic soprano who sings in the world's leading opera houses and has recently sung before Her Majesty The Queen.

The Forester's Hall became available to the Copythorne Branch in 1976 and a conveyance was signed by the trustees, Messrs Lionel Taylor, Brian Soffe, Harold Hallett and Roy Farmers and Mrs Jean Mills on 3rd August 1976 and we now owned the Royal British Legion Hall and meetings were held every second Tuesday of the month, committee meetings every third Tuesday and the AGM in November.

You could be excused for thinking that Copythorne Royal British Legion and the Copythorne Amateur Theatrical Society have very little in common.  In fact C.A.T.S. grew out of the Legion's dramatic activities through a strange set of circumstances.

A change to procedures in the 90's meant that welfare help was rigidly restricted to those beneficiaries in need, not just our local OAPs which the pantomimes had financed.

So the pantomimes were no longer staged under the auspices of the Royal British Legion. Many in the village were keen to see the pantomimes continue and, fortunately, a group of Legion members and local enthusiasts formed Copythorne Amateur Theatrical Society in 1995 and C.A.T.S has flourished ever since. 

2000 and beyond

We have gradually been reducing in numbers in the Branch and those able to attend meetings. We still have interesting and useful talks after our monthly meetings and a few trips each year.

We have lost some of our stalwart Members to old age, and the skittles evenings, so popular in past years, has fallen by the wayside.

But, we are still a hardworking Branch with many supporters.

To find out - come and join us.