A SUCCESSFUL winter lunch in Branscombe raised �200 for the League of Friends of Seaton and District Hospital. Arranged by the Branscombe Ladies, who include Marie Dowell, Rosemary Pavey, Joy Hartnell and Brenda Woodley, the lunch went down a storm in the

A SUCCESSFUL winter lunch in Branscombe raised �200 for the League of Friends

of Seaton and District Hospital.

Arranged by the Branscombe Ladies, who include Marie Dowell, Rosemary Pavey, Joy Hartnell and Brenda Woodley, the lunch went down a storm in the busy village hall.

The group, with the help of Mary Wilcox and Eileen Avery, served a two course delicious meal, which included Irish stew dumplings and jam sponge and custard.

Marie, who cooked the stew, said: "It went very well. About 36 to 40 people turned up. We weren't expecting as many people as that and we did fantastically well.

"It was nice to cook for a lot of people and was a change."

In the summer the Ladies of Branscombe raised money for a new television to be installed in Seaton Hospital.

Marie added: "We have all had to change to Seaton doctors in the last 12 months so we thought we would do something for the Seaton area."

After the success of the winter lunch, which was the first of its kind, it may now become an annual event.

"It was nice for all of us to meet people and is a way of getting together. There needs to be something for the village to have in the winter months," said Marie.