SURVIVING members of the Holt Luncheon Club have decided to call it a day after 42 years.

The club is being wound up by its 24 members and a public auction is to be held of its equipment.

All the club’s property went on sale at Holt Village Hall on Saturday, September 18 from 9.30am to 1.30pm to raise funds for the village pre-school appeal.

Club chairwoman, Coral Mackenzie, said: “All in all, it’s a fitting end to a village tradition which, sadly, has had its day but has left a lot of very happy memories of good times and good friends.”

The club was formed forty two and a half years ago, holding its first meeting in January 1979. Its aim was to provide a hot, two-course, home cooked meal at an affordable cost of 40p (around £1.76 at today's prices) to elderly people, some of whom lived on their own.

Tina Davies, one of the club members, said: “It offered the opportunity to not only have a good meal but also to meet old and make new friends in congenial surroundings, and catch up on the latest news from around the village.”

Mrs Davies said the club's 24 members voted "unanimously" at their last meeting on August 11 to close the club after they ran into difficulties finding people to cook the meals.

"The main reason is that we could not get support from cooks. They didn't come back after the Covid lockdown ended."

The club used five cooks on a rota basis but only two volunteers remained when lockdown ended.

The remaining 24 members plus guests enjoyed a farewell three-course lunch provided at the Tollgate Inn and served up in its outdoor marquee.

At its height, the club had 48 members and could easily have gone beyond that had it been possible to cater for more, Mrs Davies said.

But in recent years, membership had dwindled and the surviving members decided it was time to call it a day.

“The cost of the meal had risen to £4 and there were 32 members of whom about 24 regularly attended by lockdown in March 2020.

“From then until the end of August this year, the Old Ham Tree delivered a hot meal once a week to many members of the club who looked forward not only to a freshly cooked meal but also to a friendly chat.”

Over the past four decades, things have changed, not least taste wise, with meals getting a bit more exotic than cottage pie.

“When Moussaka was introduced it was served with some trepidation but in fact became one of the club’s firm favourites,” Mrs Davies said.

“In the last few years Holt Community Bus were called upon to provide transport where needed and, more recently the bus driver and ‘shotgun’ on duty each week were providing additional help by putting out tables and chairs for that day’s lunch.”