LUNCH club founder Judith Hughes is inviting more Barnton residents to come along following the success of the first lunch.

Cllr Hughes, a member of Barnton Parish Council, decided to start the club to run alongside regular bingo sessions at Barnton Memorial Hall she organises.

Despite publicising the lunch club in the village she was nervous about whether people would turn up for the first lunch today.

She needn’t have worried, as residents gave the club a huge thumbs-up, with 34 people coming along to enjoy food prepared by Cllr Hughes before it was eyes down for free prize bingo.

The success of the lunch will see it become a regular fixture, being held every second Tuesday or Wednesday at the hall, the lunch running from midday to 1.10pm, followed by six games of bingo until 2pm.

“I was really pleased with the number of people who came along for the lunch,” said Cllr Hughes.

“Everyone said it was lovely and they really enjoyed the food, the atmosphere and the company.”

Cllr Hughes organised the food for the lunch, which was free, and people gave donations. Subsequent lunches will cost £2, and any profit will go back into the club.

The next lunch is to be organised by local residents including Mary Douglas and Jean Thompson, and Cllr Hughes said any help people could offer with the lunches would be very welcome.

“This will be the third year of the bingo sessions, and the aim of the lunch club is to bring the community together,” said Judith.

“Having the club immediately before the bingo will make it a longer and more pleasant afternoon, and people were very enthusiastic about the idea when I spoke to them at the last bingo.

“The lunches are not just for older people, and although almost everyone who came along had been to the bingo there were a number of new people.”

The lunch included soup and bread, prawn cocktails, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit salads and strawberry flans, tea and coffee, and the hire of the hall is paid for by Barnton Parish Council.