THE new Melksham Community Meals service kicked off last Friday (Feb 8) with more than 30 people attending the first sitting in Melksham Assembly Hall.

Among them were Doreen Hutchings, 77, from Reybridge and her friend, Eileen Wild, 75, from Conigre Close in Melksham.

The pair have been going to the former Melksham Lunch Club for the past two years since Doreen’s husband Jimmy died. “It was delicious,” said Doreen, while Eileen added: “It was really lovely.”

The menu featured 11 main courses with prices ranging from £5 for soup to £7.50 for breaded plaice and scampi. Founder Sue Mortimer said: “We are delighted with the response and overwhelmed with the support.”

The former lunch club, which closed in December following cuts by Wiltshire Council, has been saved by retired accountant Sue Mortimer, Elvey Schofield and Sue Hutchinson and is open on Fridays and Sundays.