PENSIONERS packed into Vale Royal Abbey to hear the Roberts Bakery band give the festive season a rousing welcome.

The band launched one of one of its busiest spells of the year with a special concert for Roberts Bakery pensioners at Vale Royal Abbey.

The band, led by musical director Simon Stonehouse, played to a crammed room of 100 Roberts’ pensioners at the annual concert.

The Roberts Bakery band, which marked its 35th anniversary last year, has now appeared at many Christmas events in the community, including the spectacular Spirit of Christmas show at Chester Cathedral and the Northwich town Christmas lights switch-on ceremony.

The band will also play at a Christmas concert with Sandbach High School Choir at Sandbach Town Hall on Friday, December 16.

Sandbach is now the home town of the band after Rudheath-based Roberts Bakery helped them to secure new premises there.

The new band headquarters in Elworth provides a secure place to store equipment as well as a spacious room for the band to practice in twice a week.

Jacquie Kilsby, secretary of the band, said: “Having our own dedicated building to rehearse in is a tremendous advantage.

“Our equipment is safe and the acoustics are far better than the room we used to rehearse in. We are so grateful to have them.”

Lindsay Occleston is a fourth generation member of the Roberts family.

She said: “I’ve had the pleasure of hearing the band play many times this season, and it’s wonderful to see them sharing their spectacular music with so many local people at these concerts in the run-up to Christmas.

“After marking 35 years of the band last year, we very pleased to end this year on a high too with these superb new premises.

“2017 promises to be a big year for the band and this building will be a magnificent asset to them.”

Celebrating more than 125 years of baking bread, independent bakery Roberts Bakery was established in 1887.

The company has operated from its current premises in Northwich since 1952, and produces a total of 1.8 million loaves a week.