SHIVERING should be a thing of the past, hall committee members are hoping, now that 11 new radiators have been installed – and just in time to commemorate the First World War soldiers in whose memory the hall was originally built.

A grant of £6,000 allowed those who run Ruspidge Memorial Hall to install eight radiators in the upper hall and three in the lower space.

The hall was built in 1923, on land donated by Alice Hudson, a widow who ran a local grocery store, in memory of the fallen of the First World War, including her only son Cameron who was killed in Belgium in 1917.

Ruspidge and Soudley community worker, Teresa Rose, said: “As a tribute to those men there will be a display of poppies, in the hall, at a heritage weekend on October 13 and 14.

“Hundreds of poppies made by local people will be on display, and the names that can be seen on the armorials in the hall will be commemorated with individually-named poppies.

“It will also give people the opportunity to see photographs and artefacts showing Ruspidge’s fine, rich heritage.”

Funding for the new heating came from Gloucester Environmental Trust, with the Landfill Communities Fund provided by Enovert.

“The new radiators will help keep those who attend groups and courses warmer in the colder months,” Teresa added. “The hall committee is extremely grateful tor the funding to install the gas central heating, with a view to becoming more sustainable, by switching to natural gas rather than use electricity.”