BACK in 1965, the then 46-year-old John Geldard was one of the proud Malham residents to attend the opening of its village hall.

Mr Geldard was then the hall's treasurer and was one of small group who helped raise the £2,000 to convert and extend the village Reading Room into the hall it is today.

The opening, in front of a large crowd of villagers, was carried out by Malhamdale artist Constance Pearson, and geologist and Dales historian Dr Arthur Raistrick.

Half a century later Mr Geldard, now 96, was one of more than 50 residents, including a six-month-old baby, who attended a tea party at the hall to mark its special anniversary.

“I was 46 at the time, but it feels like yesterday,” said Mr Geldard, as he looked at a photograph taken outside the hall during the opening ceremony on Saturday, February 6, 1965. Also pictured were Dr Raistrick and Mrs Pearson.

“It was just a room with the latest newspapers in and everyone would gather there, but there weren’t any facilities,” recalled resident John Heseltine.

The original fund to raise money for the adaptation of the reading room was opened in October, 1944 with a donation of five shillings and seven pence, which had been the proceeds of a social held by the village's drama class.

Building work had cost £1,336, the cost of new equipment had been £343 and an additional £60 paid for the renovation of the billiards table. Half of the cost had been given by the then Ministry of Education.

Katharine Holmes, granddaughter of the late Mrs Pearson, said: “The hall needed upgrading and bringing into the 1960s and grandma wanted to help. She was very interested in the local community.”

Together Dr Raistrick and Mrs Pearson wrote and illustrated a History of Malham, which raised £100 towards an existing hall fund that had been set up more than 20 years previously.

The hall conversion, which cost around £2,000, involved the addition of a recreation room, a concert and meeting room, and facilities including a kitchen and toilet.

To celebrate the completion, Mrs Pearson created a large collage of the village, which she unveiled at the opening ceremony.

The collage included all but one of the houses in the village and at the time Mrs Pearson said she hoped villagers would enjoy recognising their homes.

The artwork still hangs in the hall today and has now been joined by a second collage by Mrs Pearson, which has been loaned to the hall by nearby hotel Beck Hall to mark the anniversary.

The piece is an abstract collage of the Yorkshire Dales and will remain hanging in the village hall for all to enjoy.

Speaking at the anniversary event, Malham Village Hall chairperson Carol Newhouse - whose father, William Harrison, helped launch the hall as its secretary - said: “I’m sure you’ll all agree that the transformation of the village hall from the reading room has been a great success.

“We’ve all enjoyed many events over the years; I remember coming to the Sunday School events here as a little girl and then coming back with my own children,” Mrs Newhouse added.

Today, the hall continues to bring the community together with activities ranging from Pilates classes to Malham’s Women’s Institute meetings.

The anniversary celebration was organised by resident and village hall committee member Imogen Swales.

“It’s important to mark these occasions and it would be nice to be here again for the 100th birthday," she said.

She also thanked local businesses, including The Old Barn Cafe, River House, The Buck Inn, Beck Hall, Gordale Snack Bar, Miresfield Farm and The Lister Arms, which contributed sandwiches and cakes.