The unique village of Southwick is steeped in history. Nestling quietly at the foot of Portsdown Hill the privately owned village has acted host to Kings and Queens of England over the centuries. It was the location of Southwick, so close to Portsmouth and yet at a safe distance that led to Southwick House being chosen as the forward Headquarters for D-Day in 1944.
The Southwick D-Day Memorial Hall was built with funds raised by the village during the summer of 1994, the 50th anniversary of D-Day. It commemorates all those who took part in the greatest seaborne invasion ever undertaken. The Hall was opened on 22nd June 1996 by Viscount Montgomery of Alamein CBE, son of Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery (Monty).
I help to run the toddler Group which meets every Tuesday in the hall. The Hall is modern, stylish and bright and clean. The air source air con system keeps us toasty warm in winter and cool in the summer. The kitchen is great and there is plenty of parking. We benefit from a great rate due to our block booking. As a family we love the hall and have used it with confidence for weddings, birthday parties, thespian events, quizzes and other family and community events. We love it because the hall has everything we could need.
I am involved with various village organisations who make good use of the hall. It is a hub for local events and social meetings and hosts, amongst other things keep fit classes, bingo, dance, a toddler group, quizzes and a weekly lunch club for the over 60s. The hall is idea for community, church, family and corporate occasions. The WiFi is great and the ceiling mounted projector and screen is invaluable for some events. The stage and dressing rooms are ideal for anyone wanting to put on a drama or musical event. The hall is an ideal and well equipped space to cater for any community or private gathering in the historic and quite beautiful village of Southwick.
We just had our wedding reception at the D-Day Hall – What a triumph! The hall was a very welcoming and versatile venue for our 140 guests. We had a licensed bar in the smaller room and this, together with the modern and well equipped kitchen meant that our guests were well catered for and very happy. We love the beautiful village of Southwick and it was very special to us to hold our event there. There was plenty of room outside for kids to roam around and a fantastic park just outside too. We held our ceremony at the village church where the vicar was very welcoming and accommodating. A brilliant venue all round – we couldn’t have asked for more for our special day.
The D-Day Hall has been the perfect for kids parties. It is in a lovely location and would be ideal for formal and leisurely events, wakes and gatherings. It has a great outdoor space too and there is ample parking near to the hall and close by. The modern catering kitchen is useful and I have been very pleased to host events to which I could confidently invite my family and friends.
I have used the hall on several occasions for children’s parties and family events. The hall is perfect for every occasion and is always clean, bright and well equipped. It is the perfect location for a special occasion.
Members of the Hall organisation will support you though the planning process with multiple viewings and consultations to ensure your day goes as smoothly as possible.
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