The original name of the Hall was "The Bramhall Women's Conservative Association Hall", which was a little inappropriate for Air Scouts, so after taking over the building we decided to rename it "Leewood Hall" after Miss Florence Leewood OBE who originally provided it for the local Women Conservatives.
In those long off days the large House, I think number 68 Ack Lane East (i.e. turn right out of Benja Fold and just past Hillbrook Road on the right), was, up to about the early 50’s, the Conservative Club, so the location where we were was very logical.
It’s not clear when the building was erected, I suspect either in the late 20's or early 30's, but some people have suggested the 40's. I know it was certainly well established by 1948 when I moved to Bramhall, as I saw my very first Gang Show there run by the Ist Bramhall Scouts who in those days met on Robins Lane near the railway alongside the entrance to Carrwood Woods.
My belief comes from the fact that the hut is very similar to one that Miss Leewood bought to start the first Guide Company in Bramhall in 1920. Then, it was on the lower field, by the stream on Benja Fold, that's the field on the right hand side as you walk through to Bramhall station.
Whilst the family lived on Bramhall Lane South, close to where the War Memorial is now, the Leewood’s also owned all the land that we now see to the side of Benja Fold. They also own the field, which is now used for camping and where the radio society occasionally put up masts.
Following her father’s death, the Benja Fold land was left to Miss Leewood. A pair of semi-detached houses were built on her field, with the sale of one of these financing her move into the second. Whilst there have been 3 occupiers, including Miss Leewood, of No 1 Benja Fold, the original purchasers still live in No 2.
At this point discussions were started with the Guide Division as it had grown out of the single company started by Miss Leewood. The discussions surrounded whether they would accept the gift of the land as a camping and activity field. After various negotiations, a trust was established and Miss Leewood formally handed over the fields.
Her wish was for her beloved Guides to have the grounds and her other lifelong love, the Women's Conservatives, to continue. It was therefore agreed that the WC’s would remain on their piece of land covered by the hut as long as they continued, and if the hut was no longer needed it should be removed and the land revert to the Guides.
When the Air Scouts were founded, the troop quickly grew to 13/15 boys. We started meeting in the Conservative Hall and when the WC's no longer wished to manage it, we bought the assets from them. In memory of all she had done for the youth of Bramhall, and to keep a link with her WC's, we decided to name the building Leewood Hall.
As I say, the building has a long history, it is possibly a World War 1 army hut as was the original Guide Hut. Legend had it that when it was bought for its present purpose it was a shower hut in the South Wales Pits. The other interesting fact came out of the surveys we had done in that it is definitely 2, if not 3 huts, put together. The clue is in the ridge, and the butting of the stage onto the main Hall.
The WC's hired out the hall a lot to cover its upkeep with the most regular activity, no longer represented these days, being dancing. A Mrs Burgess, who is still alive and I believe well into her 90's, taught many teenage youngsters to Ballroom Dance. I can vouch for not only learning the waltz and quickstep, but also the jive, twist, and rock and roll. Need I hardly add that there is no doubt we lads learnt some other things as well! The remnants, but of a far greater age, were still dancing on Monday nights when the WC's closed down, and I regret, due to a period of uncertainty, they dispersed before we could confirm our ownership.
The same happened to the mid-week Tapers, but at least it gave the Radio Club the chance to get in! Mrs Burgess's student teenagers and adult pupils went on to gain many awards. The youth of each generation affectionately called the building "Jessie's Jive House".
Dancing was also important at the weekend. Ballet Classes were traditionally held on Fridays and on Saturday Mornings with the exams for Ballet and Ballroom on Saturday afternoons. The two forms of dancing were under separate management, with several ladies running the Ballet. One was a Mrs Korer, whose husband was a BBC TV Floor Manager and now an independent producer in the South of England. The lady who followed built the Ballet lessons up to 4 nights a week and Saturdays as Jessie eased back to Mondays only.
The beginning of the end came for the WC's when the Ballet Classes moved to Lumb Lane in what previously had been the Smithy. We have possibly learnt the lesson of not having too many "eggs in one basket"! This was fortunate for us as it happened just at the time we needed more room. The WC's couldn't make ends meet, and as the tradition of the Association was midday dinners and afternoon meetings the time had possibly come. With the long connection with Guiding and the 1st Bramhall Scouts, I think Miss Leewood would be pleased with the way things have turned out.
I believe Miss Leewood was a spinster as her boyfriend was killed in the Great War. She also lost one of her brother’s, as his name appears on the local war memorial, as does the name Leah. Maggie Leah, who lived with her brother Jack in what is now Leah Cottage on Benja Fold near Bramhall Lane South, was a part of those "olden days". Right up to almost the time she died she cleaned and prepared the teas for countless events. The Leah's are an old Bramhall Family and we have her great great nephew Callum in the Troop today, yet another connection!!
Miss Leewood started the Guides, became the first women Chair of the Local Council as a Conservative Local Councillor. She was also a Governor of the local Schools, helped "her boys" in the prisons, and did many other "good turns" for society. Yes, she was one of the "old school", but she provided well for the future. Hopefully Leewood Hall, along with her OBE for services to local politics, will mean she will be remembered for sometime to come. In fact, with our work and development, the hall built and supplied for an age of afternoon ladies meetings and midday dinner parties seems to have adjusted well to the new century.