Stratford St Mary Institute Hall
A community hall for events, classes, and local hire
in the village of Stratford St Mary, Suffolk
Stratford St Mary Village Bank Holiday Party 4th May 2026
Yesterday we held our Stratford St Mary Village Party, and what a wonderful community occasion it turned out to be. A few spots of rain sent us briefly indoors mid-buffet, but spirits were high throughout and the day was a real success.
Highlights
The Hygge Choir gave us a beautiful mini concert that genuinely blew everyone away. The Restore and Display Military Vehicle Group brought a stunning collection of authentic wartime vehicles that drew great admiration. And of course, the heart of the day was the generosity of our community itself — the tombola prizes, homemade cakes, and shared buffet contributions made everything possible.
A huge thank you to:
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Curtis Johnson of 6 Pack Wines — Curtis, a longstanding friend of the hall, provided wonderful wines by the bottle and glass. As many of you will know from previous wine tasting evenings, he always brings something special.
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Vale Garage — whose donation of a free MOT for the tombola was won by a very delighted local!
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Hall Farm — whose £25 voucher was the well-earned prize for our hotly contested VE Day quiz, with 20 entries.
Our tombola and tea and cake stall were brilliantly supported, and the funds raised helped make the event possible — thank you to everyone who took part.
Thank you to our volunteers
None of this happens without people giving their time and energy. Huge thanks to Sandy, Ineke, Gill, Sasha (our fabulous DJ), and Rob who ran the tombola and judged the dog show — along with so many others on the day. And a special mention to Richard for the generous use of his field for car parking; he has long been a great supporter of village life here at the hall.
What it's all about
Around 33 families and groups signed up, with over 100 people coming together on the day. That says everything. These events are about building a strong, connected community — and yesterday showed just how much of that we have here in Stratford St Mary.
We hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did. If you have any pictures you'd be happy to share here or on social media tag us #SSM Community on Facebook or send to ssminstitute.committee@gmail.com - we'd love to share them!
We love providing activities for our local community, including our own events which bring different opportunities into our area while raising funds for the Hall.
The Institute Hall offers a flexible main hall with sprung floor, a separate kitchen with small annex room, disabled access and toilet and modern broadband, lighting and equipment. Parking and nearby play areas add to its value for community use.
Classes held at the hall include weekly classes in dance, fitness, music and sport, alongside seasonal community celebrations and private hires including parties, family gatherings, meetings and club activities.
The Institute Hall calendar shows upcoming classes, community events and private bookings, giving an overview of how the hall is used and helping with planning future hires.
The Institute Hall is available for hire for parties, meetings, classes and celebrations, offering good rates and flexible facilities for community and private use.
Directions
The Institute Hall is on Higham Road, Stratford St Mary, CO7 6LJ, just off the A12 between Colchester and Ipswich.
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From the A12, take the exit for Dedham/Stratford St Mary/East Bergholt, follow signs into the village, and turn onto Higham Road.
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Proceed along Higham Road heading out of the village until past Orchard Barnes on the right hand side. the Institute is next door.
Parking is available on site at the front and side of the hall. The main entrance is located at:
