Memorial Details
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Memorial
Community Centre 1914-18 Springfield Road
Reference
F33.01
Place
FOREST HALL
Map ref
NZ 279697
Original Location
West side of Springfield Park.
Which war
1914-18
Dedication, Creation or Publication date
1. The War Memorial building was re-opened 24th May 1919 (“Empire Day”) by Sir George Lunn J.P.
2. Present building opened May 31st 1986.
2. Present building opened May 31st 1986.
Memorial Description
West Moor and Forest Hall Brotherhood Community Centre. Single storey building of red brick. Outside in the grounds is a plaque 17 inches high by 36 inches wide, (431mm x 914mm) of red marble mounted on a stone pedestal. The lettering is incised and gilded, using Roman capitals throughout. There were sixteen rooms.
Materials used
Brick building, granite plaque.
Inscription
purchased by the West Moor and
Forest Hall Brotherhood
with the aid of public subscriptions
are dedicated to the memory of
all from the Long Benton area
who served in the Great War
1914 - 1918.
dedicated to the memory of the people of Forest
Hall who served in the Great War 1914-1918
Names
None
Who commissioned
2. Springfield Community Association
Cost
£2,000, of which, at the opening, £1,241 had been raised or promised.
How money was raised
1. Public subscriptions. "Mile of Pennies".
2. The insurance from the fire raised 75% of the sum required.
Sculptor, Artist or Designer
2. Stephen J. Hall (present building) (founder member of the Springfield Community Association)
Notes
1. The red marble plaque was taken from the building which burned down.
2. This is the second such building on this site. The first was a brick house called "Springfield", built 1869 by Richard Reed, manager of the Newcastle Chronicle, which was sold in 1918 by his sons Harold and Joseph Reed as a place of recreation which would serve the living in memory of the dead. It had 16 rooms, and stood in a site of 2 acres.
In between times, the house had been occupied by the military for over 4 years.
3. The West Moor and Forest Hall Brotherhood was formed to run the centre, which burnt down in 1980, and was replaced by the present building.
4. "The plaque from original was stored in the Local Studies Centre for a time, in three pieces. It is obvious the top piece was a very shallow triangular pediment, which survived long enough to be mortared into place at the present site, but has eventually disappeared. (Vandals?). There may well have been a bottom "third" piece, but there seems to be no evidence of it ever returning to the present site. The yellow in the lettering is fairly fragmentary, but the central plaque of granite otherwise seems to be in good shape" (R.W. Gould, 1991).
5. The study of this building by the Ivy Road Primary School was entered in the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering Schools Competition, and was awarded second place for the Janet Brown Trophy for a Group entry.
6. The Brotherhood was formed in July 1912 with a series of six lectures as an experiment. It proved the necessity, and a Sunday meeting had been held every Sunday. Its War Savings Association had £3,000. War charities resulted in donations to several charities such as the King’s Fund, the Y.M.C.A. and the Benton Wesleyan Soldiers’ Room.
7. The original modern dedication plaque was vandalised. In 2018 North Tyneside Council upgraded the memorial area and installed the new plaque. The old plaque was moved inside the Community Centre.
2. This is the second such building on this site. The first was a brick house called "Springfield", built 1869 by Richard Reed, manager of the Newcastle Chronicle, which was sold in 1918 by his sons Harold and Joseph Reed as a place of recreation which would serve the living in memory of the dead. It had 16 rooms, and stood in a site of 2 acres.
In between times, the house had been occupied by the military for over 4 years.
3. The West Moor and Forest Hall Brotherhood was formed to run the centre, which burnt down in 1980, and was replaced by the present building.
4. "The plaque from original was stored in the Local Studies Centre for a time, in three pieces. It is obvious the top piece was a very shallow triangular pediment, which survived long enough to be mortared into place at the present site, but has eventually disappeared. (Vandals?). There may well have been a bottom "third" piece, but there seems to be no evidence of it ever returning to the present site. The yellow in the lettering is fairly fragmentary, but the central plaque of granite otherwise seems to be in good shape" (R.W. Gould, 1991).
5. The study of this building by the Ivy Road Primary School was entered in the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering Schools Competition, and was awarded second place for the Janet Brown Trophy for a Group entry.
6. The Brotherhood was formed in July 1912 with a series of six lectures as an experiment. It proved the necessity, and a Sunday meeting had been held every Sunday. Its War Savings Association had £3,000. War charities resulted in donations to several charities such as the King’s Fund, the Y.M.C.A. and the Benton Wesleyan Soldiers’ Room.
7. The original modern dedication plaque was vandalised. In 2018 North Tyneside Council upgraded the memorial area and installed the new plaque. The old plaque was moved inside the Community Centre.
Newspaper cuttings, photos or archival material
Photos: Janet Brown; Ralph Gould; Allan Oliver; Robert Preston
Northumberland Record Office ANLHS War Memorials Project photocopies of selection of various newspaper articles 1983, photographs of the rebuilding, etc. from Ivy Road Primary School entry for Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering Schools Competition; copies of correspondence re rubbish bags mentioned in Note 5 above.
Illustrated Chronicle 23/05/1919 reports opening of new building “tomorrow”; 26/05/1919 reports opening.
Northern Echo 22/05/1919 reports coming re-opening.
North Mail 23/05/1919 reports coming re-opening.
Newcastle Weekly Chronicle 31/05/1919 reports re-opening; 21/06/1919 reports unveiling.
Newcastle Daily Chronicle 26/05/1919 reports opening.
Northumberland Record Office ANLHS War Memorials Project photocopies of selection of various newspaper articles 1983, photographs of the rebuilding, etc. from Ivy Road Primary School entry for Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering Schools Competition; copies of correspondence re rubbish bags mentioned in Note 5 above.
Illustrated Chronicle 23/05/1919 reports opening of new building “tomorrow”; 26/05/1919 reports opening.
Northern Echo 22/05/1919 reports coming re-opening.
North Mail 23/05/1919 reports coming re-opening.
Newcastle Weekly Chronicle 31/05/1919 reports re-opening; 21/06/1919 reports unveiling.
Newcastle Daily Chronicle 26/05/1919 reports opening.
Links to Source Material :
Research acknowledgements
Allen Oliver and Norman Grainger (Killingworth LHS). Ivy Road Primary School; the late R.W. Gould; Tony Harding; Dorothy Hall
Research In Progress
The history of this building and the stories of the men from Forest Hall who went to war are being researched by Springfield Community Association. Contact Linda Hoffman on linda@springfieldcommunity.org.uk
Community Centre 1914-18 Springfield Road (F33.01)
You are looking at all the information and the best images we have so far on this memorial. If you can supply more information or better images please get in touch by sending an email to enquiries@newmp.org.uk.
Parish Notes
Every Name A Story
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Copyright 2013, North East War Memorials Project. Registered Charity No. 1113088
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