Residents from Redcot, a Haslemere care home, travelled ‘Over the Rainbow’ to visit Haslemere Hall to seeThe Wizard of Oz.

“We know how much the residents enjoy the theatre, especially musical theatre, so when we heard thatThe Wizard of Ozwas being performed at Haslemere Hall, it was the perfect place to go for an afternoon outing,” said Jan Daly, the Registered Manager at Redcot.

“The residents were reminiscing the 1939 film starring Judy Garland and once the performance got underway, it was lovely to hear everyone singing along with the cast.”

Haslemere Hall has a special link to Redcot Care Home. Edith Day originally owned Redcot, and her father, Barclay Lewis Day, built Haslemere Hall.

In 1912, Barclay decided to build a hall in the town. He invited well-known architects of the day to submit their plans in a competition for the best building design. Judged by an important member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Annesley Brownrigg F.R.I.B.A. won the competition.

Building work started in 1912, with the Hall officially opened in January 1914. But thanks to World War I for the first four years of its life, Haslemere Hall was requisitioned by the War Office. Barclay died in 1913, and in 1919, Edith gifted Haslemere Hall to the town as per her father’s wishes. Edith, who lived with her cousin, Phyllis, at Redcot, was considered Haslemere’s greatest benefactor, and a plaque at the base of the staircase at Haslemere Hall commemorates the generous gift.