St Peter's Heritage Hall
The History of the Hall
NOWADAYS we expect every church to have a hall of some kind, but for most of the eight hundred years of St Peter's Church existence, Culter folk did not seem to see the need for one.
Session meetings were usually held in the church or in the manse. In 1900, there were no youth organisations, no women's guild. No secular social activities are mentioned in session records.
The first mention of a choir is in 1888 when, at the funeral of the minister, Mr Allan, they sang Psalm 90...... 'the choir sang with much feeling and the congregation were deeply touched, many being moved to tears'. And it was the choir who first voiced the need for a hall.
6 May 1904: members of the choir sent a letter to the session asking them to provide a hall for choir practice in the winter months. The session replied that they could not see their way to grant the request but 'laid the letter on the table meantime'. The choir letter 'lay on the table' for nearly two years before the next mention of a hall on 9 March 1906.
In the interval, the minister, Mr Aird, had died on 21 May 1905 and the young Rev J L Thomson inducted on 29 October 1905.
From the session meeting on 9 March 1906, things moved very swiftly on and in just a year and a half the redundant 'Iron Kirk' of Kentigern's Episcopal Church, Ballater, was dismantled and re-erected in St Peter's Glebe, read first session meeting on 1 October 1907.
My first acquaintance with the hall goes back to 1937 when I was having organ lessons in the church. It still had traces of its former Episcopalian life. The chancel area had three steps up to where the altar had been. In the corner to the right was a small pulpit. The walls were dark panelled wood, the ceiling had open rafters and the floor was rough knotted wood which had to be spayed with 'Slipperine' to help the dancing during parties. One piano (new in 1907) sat in front of the pulpit and on the left of the chancel was the newer (1927) Guild piano. It was normally completely covered and locked with a key which was concealed in the choir cupboard - the choir being allowed to use it. The heating was from an anthracite stove in the east wall with a network of hot water pipes. Sometimes the flue would become blocked and spew out noxious fumes!
The hall continued largely unchanged till it was completely refurbished around 1962.
And so for 90 years this old Hall has been a centre for church, social and educational life. Countless colourful characters of all ages have passed through this hall.
This year, the auld 'Iron Kirkie' of Ballater enters vet another chapter in its eventful life to enable it to continue to play a useful part in Culter cultural and social life for another 90 years.