In 1945 villagers had the church hall in the Main Street (still there in 2000), and the old Free Church hall (1840-50). This last was also known as the ARP hall, and was converted to the Co-op, Howden branch, in the 1940s. The rebuilt village hall was opened on this site (George Street / Limelands Road) in 1973.
The Miners’ Institute opposite (opened 1925) had a hall, billiards and a reading room. The nearby Bowling Club also has a hall.
Organisations & Clubs: in the early days the following were available in the village:
church guild; Co-op guild; SWRI; mother’s group; youth club; Sunday school bible class; Guides; Brownies; Boys’ Brigade (disbanded in the 1970s); Junior Boys’ Brigade; Cubs; after school club; the Ormiston Pipe Band (disbanded in the mid 1950s) and the Ormiston Community Association.
By 2000, only the church guild, Sunday school, Guides and Brownies were still operating.
Also gone were the picture house – the Kinetone Kinema (1934-58), the dancing, the night school classes – shorthand, dress-making, woodwork, country dancing, keep-fit – and even the bingo, whist drives and choirs.
The children’s gala – the Ormiston Gala – in its present format began in 1938. Each June, a week of sports and fun events culminates in the village parade, and the crowning of the new Gala Queen in the public park. The gala is a self-funding event steered by a small committee and other helpers. Numerous fund-raising events are held throughout the year. The Millennium crowning and Gala Day saw a reunion of many previous queens, including our first Gala Queen from 1938.