Slideshow: Memories day at historic First World War Southam hut

Volunteers who maintain Craven Lane Hall invited people to discover the importance of the building to Southam and contribute their own photographs, writings and other memorabilia relating to the hall.

It is believed that the building came from the battlefields of First World War Belgium and was brought here by a group of eight servicemen, who were trying to raise money for those who were injured in the war.

Heritage volunteers still have the minutes book of the very first meeting held at the hall when it was built in 1919.

Among them is Jane Alexander, who explained: “It was the Rugby and District Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association’s Southam branch that ran the hall.

“In the minutes, they talk about how they did not have anywhere to meet. The Government made available these huts, which we believe came from Belgium, and the ex-servicemen had to collect it as a flat-pack in Birmingham and bring it back here, then they put it up and used it.

“They used to auction pigs to raise money for those people who had been injured in the war.

“The money for the hut originally came from the people of Southam buying ‘cow shares’, which were redeemable later on.”

The heritage workers also have a list of the original committee members and are trying to track down their descendants in the hope that they may get involved in celebrations in Southam for the centenary of the First World War next year.

For the time being, the hall committee is trying to raise funds to put together a bid for a Heritage Lottery grant to restore the building. Ms Alexander said: “The building is falling down very slowly. We have no heating so it’s very cold in the winter, the loos are very basic and there is lots of flaking paint and crumbling stonework.

“We would like it to be once again used by the community and for it to be here for another 100 years.”