Christmas Day lunch organisers Joy and Nigel Kerton saw their 11 years of hard work recognised at this year’s event with an award by Marlborough Mayor Marian Hannaford-Dobson.

The couple were given a certificate and crystal paper weight engraved with the town's coat of arms in recognition of their work within the community, particularly the Christmas lunch for pensioners living on their own.

Coun Hannaford-Dobson and her husband Stewart Dobson were among the army of volunteers who helped to make sure the event was a triumph.

Former Gazette reporter Mr Kerton said: “We’re very pleased and very humbled but it’s not what we’ve done it for.

“We’ve done it for the community and the love of the town.”

This year 46 people sat down to enjoy a three course meal but 20 minutes before lunch was due to be served up the gas in the town hall went.

Luckily, the couple own a catering deep fat fryer and commercial microwave which they were able to use to finish off the roast potatoes and parsnips.

Mr Kerton said: “It was a really great day and the cookers going off was just a minor blip, everything else went smoothly.

“We had loads of willing helpers. It was beautiful team work and everything went to plan.”

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.

A number of people have already come forward to offer their help in organising next year’s event and Mr Kerton thinks in future years it could become a committee led project.

He said: “We’ll always be there in the background offering help to anyone who takes it on if they want us too.

“We just want to have a family Christmas.”

Over in the Bouverie Hall in Pewsey Susan Connolly, business development manager of the Spar store in the village, experienced putting on a pensioners’ Christmas lunch for the first time, feeding 17 people.

She said: “It was a really good day, everyone who turned up had a lovely time and they made me cry three times.

“One lady wrote us a Christmas card which said ‘Thank you for making Christmas special for people like me’.

“The numbers were a bit disappointing but next year we can start advertising a lot earlier, I only decided quite late on in the year to organise something this year.”