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Celebration time: caretaker of the Radlett Village Institute, Christine Boon, will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of the historic building

Enjoying a good splash around in the bath down at the village hall may seem an odd thing to do in today's fast-paced lifestyle, but for many Radlett residents, going for a wash in the Thirties provided more than just good hygiene.

But it was nothing unusual for The Radlett Village Institute, which celebrates its 80th anniversary in May. It has always maintained a reputation as a social hub since opening.

Christine Boon, caretaker at the Institute, said: "People used to come and pay to use the bath many years ago, possibly as far back as 1928 when it first opened.

"Many residents couldn't afford a bath of their own, so they would come here.

"It made the place an important social gathering spot, and people would gather to have had a great time gossiping," said Miss Boon.

The land for the building, at the junction of Watling Street and Theobald Street, was purchased through funding largely provided by public subscription and to a lesser extent by the proceeds from a village fair in 1928.

John Lomas, chairman of the Institute, said: "There were separate clubs for men, women, boys and girls all situated at the Institute when it first opened.

"All the groups have closed now except for the men's club. I think the youth clubs died out because other institutions arrived to entice youths away.

"The men's club had many homes since 1880 but settled here at the Institute in 1928, and is still here today."

Miss Boon has been a caretaker at the Institute for seven-and-a-half years and organises a number of groups that use the available facilities.

She said: "It's incredibly busy with a variety of clubs and groups wanting to use the Institute. We have yoga, karate, a religious group called The Living Church of God, a choir, a dancing school and also a baby clinic.

"When I first came here I fell in love with the place as it has got an old-fashioned character about it and the building itself has not been altered since opening.

"Inside, it has all the nooks and crannies of all beautiful old buildings. We also have a huge garden, used by the Radlett Players for an open-air performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream," said Miss Boon.

She added: "A few years ago the Red House doctor's surgery was going to pull the Institute down and rebuild a drop-in health centre, but this didn't happen, which was a relief to all of us.

For bookings and enquiries for the Institute contact caretaker Christine Boon on 01923 856462.

3:49pm Thursday 14th February 2008

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