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HISTORY
Humphrey Park Community Centre stands on the western side of Humphrey Lane in Urmston.
At the beginning of World War II, an air-raid precautions post and shelter was built on spare land at the junction of Humphrey Lane and Humphrey Crescent on the site of the current community centre. This was a surface level shelter, and a great many of these were built all over the country. After the war, through the efforts of the Humphrey Park & District Residents Society, Urmston Council had a large extension added to the air-raid shelter, and this became the original Humphrey Park Community Centre in 1948, at which time a provisional management committee was set up to run it.
Humphrey Park Community Centre when it opened in 1948.
Provisional Committee, March 1948.
Mr Long, Mr Jennions, Pop Reynolds, Mr Storry, Mr Arblaster, Mrs Lees, Mrs Mountford, Mr Short.
A library was opened at the centre in 1948. This was closed in 1990. A mobile library visited the centre on a weekly basis until 2012, at which time the service was discontinued.
Official opening of Humphrey Park Library - October 1948.
Left to right: T. Farrell, Councillor A. Howsin, Councillor W. Newton, Mrs L. Read, K. Lowe.
Over the years, many community groups benefited from a wide range of activities held at the community centre, including social evenings of dancing, whist drives and musicals, and even a children’s cine club (set up in 1952). Playgroups and youth clubs were also held at the centre, whilst a Townswomen’s Guild met at the Centre on a monthly basis. Later, other groups included yoga, local aquarists, keep fit and arthritis care groups.
Children's Christmas Party 1949.
The Residents' Society formed The Old Folks Club about 1949.
Later believed to be known as "The Over 60's Club".
The Humphrey Park Entertainers formed about 1948.
Rehearsing at St Clement’s Branch Church, and holding performances at The Centre, George St Hall, and the Civic Theatre Stretford.
In 1959, discussions began between Humphrey Park District Community Association and Urban District Council regarding the building of a new community centre. Over the next few years a least two different layouts were considered and estimates in the region of £7,000 to £8,250 were obtained. The original community centre was demolished and rebuilt in 1962. It opened on 5th January 1963.
Community Centre Plans 1962.
Urmston County Express and News-Telegraph, Thursday January 10, 1963:
Humphrey Park Centre Opened.
"Normal service resumed" was the message broadcast by officials of Humphrey Park Community Association this week following the opening of their rebuilt £7000 headquarters in Humphrey Lane by the Chairman of Urmston Council, Councillor Mrs. R. V. Royle-Higginson, on Saturday (5th January 1963). For after months of waiting for their old headquarters to be demolished and rebuilt on palatial lines, the 400 members have been without facilities. Now every section and organisation that use the community centre are making plans to extend their activities and to utilise the new building to its best advantage.
On Saturday, when the Chairman of the Council conducted the opening ceremony, she told the packed hall that she could remember when during her visits to the centre there had been buckets spaced about the hall to catch the drips from the ceiling, when it was raining.
In the new building which replaces a ramshackled hut, there will be a large hall that can be split into two sections by a partition. There is also a smaller room which can be used for committee meetings, a spacious kitchen, and plenty of storage space.
At the top of pages 2 and 4 of the paper in which this article appeared, the date was mistakenly printed as January 10, 1962. Over the years that followed, this has led some people to believe that the centre was opened a year earlier.
The article above provides a good indication as to why the original community centre was demolished. It is also well known that many ground level air raid shelters were built using a soft lime mortar due to a lack of cement at the time. Perhaps this reduced the possible lifespan of the original building and explains why it could not have been renovated.
In 1967, a small extension was built onto the store room next to the kitchen and this became the annexe.
The Community Centre in 1974.
A full rewire was carried out in 2011, which involved the installation of more efficient lighting and the replacement of overhead bar heating with more efficient warm air heaters. This was followed by alterations to ensure DDA compliance.
During the years that followed, the location became somewhat neglected due to a lack of funding: the car park area became increasingly uneven and dangerous; perimeter fencing, which had been removed, was not replaced; part of the wooden structure of the building started to rot away as a consequence of water ingress caused by raising the level of the car park in 2011 as part of the DDA works; the aging shutters at the main entrance became increasingly problematic; guttering was leaking and allowing rainwater to pour out at various locations. However, despite this, the centre had also been enjoying something of a renaissance, once again becoming a very well used local facility, with a greatly increased membership, thanks to the renewed efforts of Humphrey Park Community Association. As a consequence, the association worked closely with Trafford Council in order to complete work which was envisaged would help to ensure the long term future of the building and improve its general appearance, security and functionality. In February 2019, the following work began:
Extensive structural work to the building, which involved replacing the entire south facing wall.
Resurfacing and remarking the car park.
The planting of a new wildlife hedge around the perimeter of the grounds.
The removal of two large London Plane trees, which unfortunately had reached the end of their life, and the planting of three new trees more suited to the urban environment.
The installation of a new porch and doors at the main entrance.
One-piece aluminium guttering around the entire building.
Work was completed in April 2019, the total budget for which came to around £90,500, with Humphrey Park Community Association contributing around £40,000 to Trafford Council's investment of £50,500.
In 2024, the library room, which had been used as a store room for many years after the closure of the library, was refurbished and now provides a fourth room for hire at the community centre.
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