The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury was at Bisley Village Hall last month for a special event marking the 150th anniversary of the hall’s opening.

The building was formerly the Chapel of Shaftesbury Schools that were in Bisley from 1867 to 1959. The schools resulted from a collaboration between William Williams, founder of the Ragged Schools in London, and Lord Shaftesbury.

They founded what became known as the Shaftesbury Society which, among other things, established homes and schools in the countryside, of which the two at Bisley were the first.

The bust of Lord Shaftesbury was donated by Shaftesbury Young People (SYP), the present-day successor to the society.

Representatives of SYP joined “Old Boys”, who were at Bisley Boys School in the 1950s, and descendants of former boys and staff for lunch before the event opened to the public.

Among the crowds were the Mayor of Surrey Heath, Councillor Sarbie Kang, who cut a celebration cake, and councillors from county, borough and parish councils which had provided support for the event.

The main focus of the day – organised by the village hall’s heritage committee – was the chapel, with displays and presentations illustrating its history. Memories and messages were also shared.

In his message, the present Lord Shaftesbury, the 12th Earl, offered his best wishes and said: “My ancestor, the 7th Earl, would be immensely proud that the building has continued to be used and cherished by the community all these years later.”

The history of the present village hall, its conversion in the early 1960s from chapel to community facility and its present use as a thriving village hall, was also an important part of the day.

One of the Old Boys said: “Well done to the whole team on such a brilliant day.”

The 7th Earl remained impassive but all those present like to think he would have approved.