A history of the Trinity Rooms in 20 quotes

Some friends had a joint birthday party at the Trinity Rooms, former parish rooms and now community centre, 5 minutes walk from my house.

They asked some friends to do 5 minute talks. As this was just the most recent in an unbroken line of 140 years of celebrations and community gatherings in the venue, I thought it would be nice to invite some ghosts to join us, in their own voices.

So I went through some old newspaper archives, and also asked random punters in the Stroud local history Facebook group for their memories.

Here's what I read out.

1884: Opening of Holy Trinity Parish Room.

The rooms were opened on Thursday evening with a tea and entertainment which was attended by some 300 persons, the commodious capacity of the place being fairly put to the test. The tea commenced at seven o'clock and the entertainment at eight, the hour being scarcely sufficient to get tables and crockery out of the way before the large additional number of parishioners came to hear the entertainment which proved a pleasing one.

All of the items were applauded without much discrimination by the audience, who seemed to have come prepared to be pleased with what was presented to them. 

Haydn's Toy Symphony was performed by a band of almost thirty performers, ladies and gentlemen. The item at least served to amuse the audience, while there was also merit in the manipulation of some of the toy instruments by the ladies

1886: Miss Holmes’ Musical Club

We congratulate Miss Holmes on providing an interesting entertainment. Mr Hawkins prefaced the proceedings by alluding to the growing love of music, and said there was a disposition among many of the working classes of Stroud to spend their spare time in a rational manner.

1886 - Whitsuntide Revels

The Stroud children got back to Trinity rooms at eight o'clock and dispersed with three hearty cheers for the vicar, teachers and friends. During the afternoon a little boy named Chu fell off his seesaw and cut his head, but he was not badly injured.

1908 - Address on Socialism and the Church

Mr John Birchall, JP, of Dowden Hall near Gloucester, visited Stroud on a Tuesday evening and delivered an address on Socialism and the Church to members at the Holy Trinity Room.
...
Mr Birchall pointed out that the socialism of which they heard so much today was a selfish proposal, the main object being to attain riches. No doubt it appeared wrong for some people to be enormously rich and others extremely poor, but more could be done by Christianity than by the extreme ideas promulgated by a certain section of the community.

1910 - Fatal fall downstairs, inquest at Stroud

Mr R. H. Smith, Deputy Coroner, held an inquest at the Trinity Rooms Stroud on Tuesday.Dr. Cooed said he was called on Sunday evening and found the deceased suffering from a fracture on the base of the skull caused by his having fallen downstairs.
...
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

1910 - Rummage Sale

The old-fashioned rummage sale is still a popular feature in Stroud, and there will doubtless be a large crowd on the lookout for bargains at the sale to which is to take place at Holy Trinity Rooms Stroud.

1915 - More wounded at Stroud

On Saturday afternoon a further batch of wounded arrived at Stroud and were taken to the Red Cross Hospital at Holy Trinity Rooms. There were about a dozen cases and three of them being stretcher subjects, they were conveyed from Stonehouse Midland railway station in the Stroud Red Cross motor ambulance.

The main room is perhaps brighter and more cheerful than it has ever looked; roaring fires slowly toast the men who repose comfortably before them in big armchairs, while 14 beds, are arranged around the walls.

1928 - Savings club whist

Promoted in aid of the Lower Street Savings Club, a whist drive was held at Trinity Rooms on Thursday evening when nearly 40 tables were in use. Mrs Lampard was the winner of the cake in a weight-guessing competition.

1949 - Trinity players debut

The newly formed Trinity players could not have chosen a more suitable play to make their debut, and large audiences are thoroughly enjoying the performance that they are giving at the Trinity rooms in Stroud this week.

A society of friends was formed to bring financial assistance and, the materials having been obtained, the players themselves constructed a commodious stage and attractive proscenium.

2025 - Various memories on Facebook

The rooms were built by my great-grandfather. If he had not been given the job, he would have joined his brother in America. It was like my second home. Weekly Sunday school in the afternoon. We restarted the Trinity Players. The stage the original Trinity players put up, which was used for many years, is no longer there.

The Trinity players put on a performance of the importance of being earnest in the 1960s ... the director was  monk from the community of the glorious Ascension 

From the early 60s it was used as an auction room. Essentially it was 'furniture & effects' from people who had died ... 'Bertie' Pink with the gavel!

When I was at Parliament Street School in the 40s, it was used as a welfare clinic. A lot of us children used to come out with blue dye on, all bumps and bruises. Happy times.

I remember going there for vaccinations and strangely to audition to be an animal in a production of Benjamin Britten's Noahs Fludde in the church.

I won a metal fish keyring at Sunday school there in the mid-late 1980s.

Great memories of the youth club and scrapping all the local hard nuts on the judo mat

Sunday School and Youth Club Disco on a Thursday in the Early 80s, around the time of Madness, Culture Club etc My mum and dad preferred me to go to Trinity rather than Roxbourgh House youth club. I had a great time at both... Had my first cigarette ever outside.

The choosing of the queen and attendants for trinity fete was held there. My son attended karate lessons there I did step aerobic classes there and my brother taught qi gong there and his wake was also held there!

Fantastic fetish party there in the late 80s