The Marquee is mainly used for local village events (Fetes, Funday, Festival, etc). It is also available for hire by villagers of Speen, Hampden and North Dean. The hire income covers repairs and insurance costs, with any surplus being put into a reserve for the Marquee’s eventual replacement.

The marquee is managed through a small management group and a team of trained (well, enthusiastic!) volunteer erectors  Each hiring requires a team of 8-12  drawn from a pool of about 100 volunteers who were each persuaded in a weak moment to give over their email address.

After 9 years experience the erections now usually go very smoothly. They also provide much amusement (both for team members and spectators!) and a good opportunity to meet other villagers.

The first marquee reached the end of its usable life at the end of the 2008 season. So it has been replaced with a new one of the same size and type, made by Weatherills at Thetford, Suffolk. The Grand Opening took place on 5^th June when Andy Gower led a mass blessing by villagers.

The new marquee cost £10,000 including new matting and groundsheets etc. We sold the old on eBay for £1,650, used £8.700 from our hirings reserve, and raised the remainder from a Grand Draw. Nearly all villagers bought tickets for the Draw – many thanks for your generous support.

James Entwisle, Trevor Dunnington, Jeremy Symondson and Ashley Cooper will again be leading the erection teams this season. New volunteers are very welcome. We have four bookings for village functions and, ideally, would like a couple of private bookings. Anyone interested?

Marquee interior 

For information on the availability and cost of hiring the Marquee contact John Holmes (01494 488420 or jholmes@nildram.co.uk).

Many children in the village move to Speen School just before their fifth birthday and stay there from Reception to Year Two (7-year-olds).

Speen School is a Voluntary Aided Infant School and maintains strong links with the combined parish of Lacey Green, Loosley Row and Speen and with the Parish Church of St John’s.

From the age of seven, children from the Speen catchment area fall into the catchment for St John’s CE (VA) Combined School.

Fund Raising Events

The first erection is planned for Wednesday 3^rd June on the Playing Field. We are hoping for a good turnout of the village ‘volunteer’ erectors, who have done an excellent job over the years, to learn about the different erection method. 

We are then holding a Social and ‘Grand Opening’ for all villagers, including children, on Friday 5^th June from 6.00 pm. You are very welcome.

The marquee will cost £10,000. We make a charge to each hirer. The resulting fund is nearly enough to pay for the new marquee. However, we are £800 short. So we are planning a raffle with excellent prizes to raise the shortfall. Tickets will be sold around the village. The draw will take place on the Opening night. Please give this your support.

Many thanks,

John Holmes

(HW 488420)