The new Pilton Village Hall was officially opened at 4.00pm on Saturday 16th September by Mr David Heathcoat-Amoury MP when he cut the ribbon that separated the local community from this great new facility. Throughout the day people from the village arrived to gain their very first glimpses of this unique building that spans three floors and was a year in the making.

Finn Christensen, chairman of the village hall committee said “The new village hall is a tremendous asset to the village of Pilton, and something we are all very proud of. The layout and adaptability of the structure makes it an ideal setting for a complete range of uses. Not only will it provide a venue for local clubs and groups to meet, it is also perfect for parties, receptions, and corporate events providing tremendous scope for businesses that really require that something extra”.

Refreshments were provided by the Pilton women’s Institute as visitors explored the various freshly painted rooms to a back drop of Celtic Harp music provided by Bethan Mason who was invited to play at the function during a chance meeting with Michael Eavis on a train journey several weeks ago.

Although the new village hall has been financed by several sources and with the aid of many kind donations, it was again Michael Eavis that generously supplied the majority of the funding that has ultimately allowed this building to exist today. Talking on the day, Mr. Eavis recalled that it was a rousing speech by Pilton resident Mary Renner fifteen years ago that finally won the case to build within the village after proposals had been made to site the hall elsewhere.

In the evening a further 150 residents were treated to a second reception with a superb buffet provided by ‘Sutley Catering’. The main raffle prize was for a meal for four at ‘Blostins’ and confusion soon gave way to amusement as it was discovered that the winning ticket bearing the name ‘David H.A.’ belonged to the same ‘David H.A.’ that had opened the hall only a few hours earlier!

One very important role of the new village hall will be to provide a new home for the Pilton Youth Club who’s previous base the Pilton Pavilion was tragically lost in a fire at the beginning of the year. Businesses from around the area are already taking an interest in the various rooms that are now available and some bookings have already been taken that reach far into 2007. In the words of Finn Christensen “This is a wonderful facility that I would encourage everyone to make use of and I am sure that people will enjoy it for generations to come”.