News Update
An update on activities you may have missed !
Christmas Fair
The Chistmas Fair was once again a great success with a range of local artisans and producers displaying and selling their products, ranging from honey to jams to dog treats to jewellery.
A rather dull day outside but a great day inside including dear old Santa Claus who made an appearance in the afternoon to the delight of local children.
All were kept going during teh day by a constant supply of hot chocolate, mince pies and vicar’s punch.
Our thanks to all our artisans for making such a great day of it and our thanks to our helpers in setting up, managing and tidying up afterwards!!
Film Night - “Mr Burton”
On Wednesday 26th November, film night was back in all its glory as we showed the brilliant “Mr Burton”…….the story of the young life of a certain Richie Jenkins who went on to become the man who you and I know as Richard Burton, star of stage and screen.
This captivating film drew a good turnout of over over 40 people depsite it being aired on BBC television only a couple of weeks back (which was unfortunate timing!).
Anyway, it was a thoroughy enjoyable film in the great setting of Wren Hall, which seems to have been built with events like this in mind…..how prescient of the architects and designers!
Our thanks, as always, to our Film Night team for arranging to put on this great film and for all those that helped out in the set up and the tidy up - special shout out to Derek for managing the bar.
Next film and date to be advised but remember there is a family screeening of Arthur Chistmas on Sunday 21st December at 10am (tickets available in the online shop).
Beau Thai Supper
This “Dine & Disco” event was a new concept for this year and took place on Saturday 15th November.
With lots of sparkles in evidence as well as bow ties and a random kilt and sporran combo, our well dressed guests were treated to a very tasty two course meal in the wonderfully appointed Wren Hall, and were then encouraged to move into our “nightclub” area and get onto the dance floor to strutt their stuff courtesy of the silent disco. This proved to be a massive hit for all involved and was an experience to be remembered (and talked about constantly).
Our thanks to all those involved in the planning and execution of this wonderful event - a special shout out to Lisa, Nikki and Denise for the creativity and attention to detail in turning Wren Hall into a fabulously lux venue for the night, to Karen and Gary for running the bar, and to all those who helped in the setting up, and the tidy up on Saturday night and Sunday morning!
Focus is already turning to what we can do next year !
Family Cooking Workshop
“Noodles 3 Ways”
On Halloween, 14 youngsters aged 5-11 arrived at Wren Hall in anticipation of a familycooking workshop titled ‘Noodles 3 Ways! This was an intergenerational activity that brought together great-aunts and grandnieces, parents and off-spring, friends, siblings and a set of twins!
The activity was ably and calmly led by Anne Marie from Get Cooking Warwick and included knife skills, vegetable identification, how to chop vegetables to cook quickly (at an angle) and how to shred vegetables thinly to enhance their sweetness. Participants set to and created mounds of finely chopped veg which they added to cooked noodles and a tasty dressing, all mixed according to individual choice. This resulted in a tasty noodle pot salad which was quickly demolished by hungry participants.
Under the watchful eyes of Anne Marie and parents, children took it in turns to fry off chopped veg with noodles and a little oil and so made a noodle stir fry. Any remaining chopped veg was added to a collective soup pot and cooked for about 15 mins to make a delicious soup to take home. While the soup was cooking, children were busy decorating spooky biscuits for pudding. Somewhere along the way they also learned to make a tasty one-egg omelette.
Thanks are due to WCC for funding which subsidised this workshop to make it affordable to families in the area. Special thanks to volunteers Martin and Chris who helped with the set-up and to Val who happily tackled the mountain of washing up without complaint. Finally a big thank-you to Anne Marie Lambert for delivering a fantastic workshop which was enjoyed by all, imparting her special brand of invaluable life/cooking skills with a special emphasis on no food waste.
Skittles Night
On Saturday 18th October we held our skittles night at Wren Hall with over 50 people in attendance.
With a giant game of table skittles as well as a traditional skittle alley, it was a test for different skill sets to score highly on each of the disciplines - something that a few of us struggled with!
After four rounds (two on each) game, we eventually got our winner (well done Debbie!) - with additional prizes given for the highest scores on the table and alley games (Darrell & Debbie) and best child player (well done Ella!).
A lot of fun for those involved, and as with all these events, a lot of work for those setting u and running them, so thanks to Roger and Nikki for spearheading this particular event and thanks to all those that helped out and to those that supported the event.
Autumn Garden Show
A very successful and very well attended Autumn Garden Show took place on Saturday 13th September.
With a busy schedule of classes and classifications to enter for the cooks, bakers, growers and creatives there was something for everyone to see and to participate in.
So whether it was marrows and odd shaped vegetables, to flowers and arrangements, or jams and preserves, or cakes, or photography, there was a prize a trophy or multiple trophies to be won
With congratulations to our organising team and all the helpers for putting on the show…and thanks to all the growers, bakers and creatives for taking the time to contribute!!
All round good job well done
Film Night - A Dog’s Purpose
Wednesday 23rd July saw “A Dog’s Purpose” shown at the Wren Hall film night.
The heart warming story of Bailey the dog, re-incarnated in different lives, always searching for his real purpose. There were a few tears in the audience (as well as laughs) as the film tugged on all our heart strings!! Overall, a very well received film by those that attended and it was good to have another style or genre of film to the ones we have seen before.
Our thanks to all those who came and supported and to our regular crew of volunteers for organising the evening, running the bar, serving the snacks and tidying up afterwards!
Next film night is in 24th September - keep checking in to get details of the film that our team choose for you.
Party On The Green
Saturday 28th June saw our Party On The Green take place at Wren Hall, with all ages enjoying entertainment and competitions as well as a selection of beautiful cakes and local beer from the Wren Hall Bar.
Our attendees (over 90 of them) were able to enjoy the outside facilities of Wren Hall which had been enhanced by the erection of a variety of marquees and gazebos to provide shelter from the fierce sun (thank you sun for doing your bit!).
The beer went down well (supplied by The Case Is Altered and named “Wren Hall - Wrox Ale” for the night) and the abundance of meringues, cheesecakes and pavlovas help provide a yummy treat for us all.
Thanks to all those that supported the event - we hope that you enjoyed it and will come to more Wren Hall events in the future. And thanks to all the tireless helpers who made things, provided prizes, helped organise, helped put up marquees and helped take them down, to ensure that everyone could benefit from the wonderful experience that is Wren Hall.
Spreading the Word and Riding for a Cause
It’s now almost three years since I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent a prostatectomy. Thankfully, the cancer was successfully removed, and I’m now enjoying a wonderful retirement.
Prostate cancer affects 1 in 8 men, so it's vital we spread awareness and encourage others to get checked. Early diagnosis saves lives — a simple PSA blood test could make all the difference.
To support Prostate Cancer UK in their mission to improve diagnosis and treatment, we recently organised a charity cycle ride, followed by afternoon tea at Wren Hall.
On 18th May 2025, we were thrilled to welcome around 80 cyclists who arrived between 9 and 10 am, choosing between a 16 or 32-mile route through the beautiful Warwickshire countryside. The weather was on our side — a cool morning ideal for cycling, followed by a bright, sunny afternoon.
Despite a mischievous prank where someone removed some of the directional arrows we had carefully put out the evening before, the event ran smoothly. Every cyclist returned safely, which is always the most important outcome.
Post-ride, participants were treated to hot dogs, homemade cakes, and plenty of tea — a well-deserved reward! Later, our afternoon tea event brought the whole community together. Parishioners contributed delicious homemade cakes (including a standout apple crumble!), and Wren Hall was buzzing. Picnic tables outside were packed, and the sounds of children laughing on the lawn’s obstacle course added to the festive village atmosphere.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone involved, we are proud to announce that we’ll be donating around £3,500 to Prostate Cancer UK.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the cyclists, marshals, cake bakers, donors, and helpers. We truly couldn’t have done it without you.
And remember, gentlemen — go and get checked. Ask your GP for a PSA test. Don’t wait. It could save your life.
Roger Forty, Wren Hall Trustee
Film Night - The Forgiven
Wednesday 28th May saw “The Forgiven” shown at the Wren Hall film night to an appreciative audience.
A very well shot thought provoking film would be a fair summary i think. Plenty of discussion afterwards about the contradictions highlighted in the film that at the same time covered excess, arrogance, contrition and loss….. it was certainly one to keep our audience guessing. I didn’t expect “The End” to be that final but, then I guess, it made sense why all the credits to the film were shown in the extended opening sequence!
Our thanks to Lisa, Martin, Chris and Huw for arranging the evening and doing all the leg work - our thanks to all those that came and watched and to those that helped tidy up afterwards. Next film night is in 23rd July - keep checking in to get details of the film that our team choose for you.
Film Night - “Paddington in Peru”
On the 26th March Paddington came to The Wroxy - with his adventures in Peru. We actually ran a sneak preview at a special family showing on Sunday 23rd March prior to showing this film on our regular Film Night. It was a good turnout for both events to see Paddington search for his missing Aunt Lucy aided by the Brown family. Lots of laughs and fun for children of all ages (5 - 95!). Thanks to all that helped out in staging and tidying up after the two events. Next film night is scheduled for 28th May - more information to follow….
Quiz Night
The recent Quiz Night was a great success, with a capacity audience vying for the trophy. After a close run contest and a nerve-wracking last round, it was “Here’s Hoping” who came out on top with 79.5 points.
“Hoof Hearted” came second with 71 points and third place was shared between “4 Amigos”, “JARS” and “Whitehaven Wanderers” all of whom got 69.5 points.
Our thanks to all teams for participating, to Richard and Nigel for setting and running the quiz, Karen & Julie for scoring, Gary for running the bar, and to Denise and others for providing the food.
Film Night - “About Time”
On the 22nd January we were treated to “About Time”, a fabulous and heart warming British romantic comedy set between London and Cornwall. The full house that filled Wren Hall were captivated by the star studded cast and it truly cemented the “Film Night” in as one of the “must attend” events in the Wren Hall calendar. Next film night is on 26th March - and we’ve just had confirmation that it will be “Paddington in Peru”……exciting !!
Art / Drawing Classes
Our budding sketchers and artists are currently learning some new skills at a class that takes place weekly on a Wednesday between 11.30am and 1.00pm.
There is currently a core group participating, but we would love to expand this and take on a tutor as well, to ensure technique fundamentals are mastered.
If you are interested in joining please contact info@wrenhall.org