Our story
In 1941/42 a British Restaurant was built in the corner of the Laburnum Recreation Ground (at the Co-Op end).
In 1943 the Council was told that a recreational centre was to be built for war workers at the other end of the field, and the land was commandeered by the Government for that purpose.
What is now known as the Community Centre was opened there on September 9th 1944.
In 1946 a parish meeting had authorised the Council to take over the old recreational centre and, on December 14th, Stonehouse became the first Parish Council in the country to run a Community Centre.
Overseeing activities at the Centre made great demands on the Council members and their clerk, leaving little time to pursue other matters. So in August 1948 the Council handed over control of the Community Centre to a Community Association.
Laburnum Park
In 1919 the Parish Council wanted to acquire a field to serve as a recreation ground for the people of Stonehouse as a Memorial for the First World War.
The Laburnum Field was bought by Mr J.C.C. Kimmins, owner of Kimmins Mill, and donated to the Parish. He requested that public subscriptions should be collected to pay for its adaptation to a recreation ground and that the Parish Council should pay for its upkeep in the future.
A trust was set up for this purpose. Later on the Council asked Mr Kimmins if he wanted any particular name for the Field but he declined the offer.
Stonehouse Football Club used to play there before Oldends Lane Football Ground was opened.
All manner of fetes and shows have been held there during the past 100 years including Horticultural Shows, It’s a Knockout, Fancy Dress Competitions and the Summer Jolly