OLD HALL COMMUNITY

Walking towards utopia

travelling by communities and ecovillages

OLD HALL COMMUNITY

www.oldhall.org.uk
+44 (0) 1206298045 / 1206298294

The history of this community began around 1974, when a group of –originally- “middle-class socialists” purchased a property that had been a manor, a convent and a Franciscan friary. About 60 people live together in this property with big buildings and lands in a small village between Suffolk and Essex.

The legal structure is a housing association. The main house has three floors and several wings, where there are communal and private spaces. One peculiarity is the deconsecrated chapel, witness of the history of the building, where is possible to play badminton and table tennis or to enjoy events like concerts or theatre.

There are several systems to heat water. During my stay we were working in a new equipment where combine different renewable energies. There are some compost-toilets and one of them is also a solar shower (see photo).

There is a inhabitual mix of diets and tolerance among them: omnivorous, vegetarian and vegan (in minority).

The black-boards are very useful instruments to coordinate so many people and tasks. So some black-boards are to organize the rotas, other are to know how many people are going to have lunch or dinner. Other uses are the kind of diet, the allergies, the volunteers´ tasks, to share cars, events, notices, etc.

I was the last volunteer of the season and the main tasks were gardening and farming. Because of the volunteers can feel alone, they try to welcome two volunteers at the same time, so I share work and moments with two English women volunteers (Mariah and Jane, and her daughter).

Some people speak Spanish. There is public phone, and internet access only in the private units.

I had the impression in this community there is more mix of people than in other places where, for example, you could identify very well the members of the families. Due to that and to the lots of shared tasks, meals and resources, this place was perhaps –as Redfield- one of the English communities where I had a strong feeling of “community”. On the other hand, several founders still live in Old Hall, while in other destinations there was one founder or none generally. Other characteristic is the wide range of ages, due to the amount of people too. There are less people on working days, specially at lunch time. Some people who work outside come at week-ends.

I had read there was a special atmosphere in Old Hall and, apart from my problems with the language and communication, I felt a general friendlinesssí. A significant detail for me was some people introduce themselves to me by own initiative, what is inhabitual in my experiences and it helps you to integrate yourself into the community.

It was the first time I led a theatre workshop with games and improvizations (and in English...) and I collected tomatoes and beans.

A book tells the history of the community

They published in 2000 “The patchwork history of a community growing up”, collection of small texts written by members and friends, past and present. It has exciting passages, like the description of the beginnings. One curiosity is the advertisements in the newspapers in 1973-74 looking for more members: “Co-operative/community evolving Suffolk. No alternative society. Old property. Agricultural land. Personas interested must be prepared to commit themselves ideologically and financially”, or another “Ecological living. Setting up community Suffolk. Very large house, 50 acres, beautiful setting. Mainly middle-class Socialists. Few more participants required, with capital”.

BUS: from Manningtree

STAY: 2 weeks in October’06

WWOOF member. Included in Eurotopia

Link to PHOTOS