AFTER spreading festive spirit among elderly residents in Marlborough for more than a decade Joy and Nigel Kerton have decided to hang up their aprons and are stepping down from providing the Christmas Day Lunch.

The couple have been putting on the event for 11 years but they have decided that this will be their last and they are now hoping for someone else to come forward and take it over.

Former Gazette reporter Mr Kerton said: “We’ve been doing it for a long long time now and we can bow out with dignity knowing that we’ve put a lot in."

Mrs Kerton added: “To start with we were quite sad when we made the decision but now we’re quite happy.

“The only sad thing about deciding now to finish is that our granddaughter Vicky is 14 and she’s helped us for the last three years and she wanted to take it over but she’s too young to take over now.

“We’ve got a few things lined up, we’re going to go out with a bang."

One of the special treats is a raffle where two lucky winners will walk away with £100 in memory of Ann Harley, who helped to organise the Christmas Day lunch and died in April, and former chairman of The Hills Group Robert Hill whose family donated £1,758 to the event from donations that were made at his funeral in July.

The couple, who live in Margaret’s Mead, will hand over all the equipment they have accumulated over the years plus a wealth of experience to the new organisers.

Mr Kerton said: “We’re hoping that a couple of our loyal helpers will continue helping if not take it over.

“It’s not difficult, it’s just like cooking a Sunday dinner but times it by ten.

“Anyone who wants any tips or wants our shopping list, we will be available, we’re not disappearing.”

Mrs Kerton said: “When we hand it over there will be a nice healthy bank balance so whoever takes it over won’t have to worry too much about getting sponsorship.”

This year the event in the town hall will cater for 50 people who will all get a three course dinner, a tin of biscuits, box of chocolates and sandwiches, a mince pie, sausage roll, sweets and fruit to take home.

Mrs Kerton said: “It’s a nice number for us to cater for. We’ve had more before but this year Devizes and Pewsey are doing one.

“It’s six tables so it’s nice to set up for that number.”

Mr Kerton added: “We used to have about 40 and last year was our record, we had 64 last year.”