Retiring manor owner to sell events barn as home

A BARN which has hosted more than 1,500 special events is to close and be sold as a home.

The Old Tithe Barn at Bix Manor is shutting after 38 years of hosting weddings, anniversaries and celebrations of life.

Owner Gary Hall, 73, who lives in the adjacent house, will sell the barn for conversion as he is retiring.

He bought the manor house, which dates back to 1665, in 1986 as a home to bring up his young family.

Within weeks, one of his friends asked if they could use the barn for his wedding reception and that started his events business.

The barn has hosted weddings for up to 130 guests as well as civil ceremonies in the courtyard garden outside.

Mr Hall, who will continue to live at the manor with his wife, Louise, plans to hold a party at the end of July to bid farewell to the barn and will invite everyone who has ever worked there or hosted a celebration.

“We want to host a sort of open day and invite everyone to come one last time,” he said.

Mr Hall, who has run businesses including contract catering for film studios and offices, said he had many fond memories of the celebrations held in the barn over the years.

“We did a 60th anniversary party on Easter Monday for a couple who live in Middle Assendon and most of their family — children and grandchildren — had worked at Bix over the years.

“So many people have worked or got married here, loads of local people and families, which is lovely.

“Every single event we have done has always been a personal or private celebration, whether it has been a wedding, a major birthday, a major wedding anniversary or a celebration of life. They have all been emotional in one way or another.

“I have only ever done very special occasions that people remember all their lives so in that respect, the legacy for me is the privilege of helping people celebrate something they’re always going to remember. I could not pick one special memory out of that.”

Mr Hall celebrated his own wedding in the barn, as did his daughter, and his son held his wedding reception there too.

He said: “Family occasions are what it has always been known for and what I have loved to do.”

Mr Hall said the idea of using the barn came unexpectedly. He recalled: “I bought Bix Manor as a home and there were all these redundant farm buildings here.

“I turned a couple into offices for my business but we didn’t know what to do with the barn, it was just there.

“Some friends came for dinner and I was showing them around and one friend said, ‘Do you think I could use your barn for my wedding reception?’

“As it happened, it was his third wedding so he had been everywhere else.

“We did a picnic for about 120 people. It was a pretty casual affair and very French, with gingham tablecloths. Afterwards, people said: ‘This is great’.

“We did a couple of 50th birthday parties and 40th birthday parties and then somebody else said: ‘My son’s getting married and we don’t like the venue — would you do another one?’

“I had to put some insulation in and renovate it and that was it.”

In his retirement, Mr Hall says he will concentrate his efforts on consulting businesses on creating better environments for their staff.

He said: “I will focus on spreading the word about the art of making people feel welcome, which is what I have done all my life. I’m not quite sure how yet.

“I will advise companies, not just hospitality ones. Lots of people want their staff to go back to work and they don’t know how to go about it but the whole point is if, as an employer, you make the place of work such that your staff feel welcome, it’s easier to do that.”