Luncheon Club bids farewell

HOLT Luncheon Club has closed after over 40 years of service to the village.

The lunch service held its last meeting in August, followed by a celebration farewell meal, which looked back on the club’s history.

A spokesperson for the club says, “Holt Luncheon Club was formed forty two and a half years ago, holding its first meeting in January 1979.  The original reason for forming the club was to provide a hot, two-course, home cooked meal at an affordable cost of 40p [ca £1.76 today], to elderly people, some of whom lived on their own. 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.   

“On the anniversary of the first meeting a special lunch was held, described in the Wiltshire Times:  “The elderly and several guests who have helped with money and advice to the club sat down to the celebration roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, followed by meringue and ice cream, in the village hall.” The president thanked members and helpers and said that “a club is not a club without members and you have all been marvellous … especially at the beginning of last year (1979) when it snowed on almost every Wednesday…”   

“At its height the membership reached 48 and could easily have gone beyond that had it been possible to cater for more. In time, a five-week rota evolved with a cook, assistant cook and four helpers on each shift, not to mention the ‘admin’ volunteers who organised the tables, kept the register of attendance, took payment for the meal, ran the raffle, and generally made sure everything went smoothly. Quite a commitment from quite a lot of people.   

“Well, things changed a bit over the following four decades not least taste wise, getting a bit more exotic than cottage pie, and when Moussaka was introduced it was served with some trepidation but in fact became one of the club’s firm favourites.   

“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.    

“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.   

“On Wednesday 11th August 2021 the club held its last meeting, after which The Tollgate provided a three-course meal in their marquee as the farewell lunch, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.  Most of the helpers and cooks attended as did those members who were able, including the current president, Rowley Cantello, and Isabel Horsfall who has the distinction of having been with the club from the very beginning.  A notable absence was Marian Moyes, the longest serving cook who joined in January 1987.   

“The current chair, Coral Mackenzie, asked for a few moments silence in which to remember those members of the club who are no longer with us, after which she thanked everyone for coming and expressed the club’s gratitude to all the volunteers for their assistance, some of whom had been helpers or cooks for over 20 years.   

“All in all 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.”

As a result of the closure of Holt Lunch Club, all the property for the club will go on sale at Holt Village Hall on Saturday 18th September from 9.30am to 1.30pm.   

Items include kitchenware, utensils, tableware, crockery, cutlery and glasses.  Cash and Cheque payments only.  All proceeds from the sale will be donated to Holt Pre-School.