A dozen Newton Poppleford residents who faced spending Christmas Day alone dined together thanks to a generous couple.

David and Rosemary Zirker run the village’s monthly lunch club and reached into their own pockets to cook up the festive three-course meal, with some kind donations from local people.

They were assisted by three helpers at the village pavilion to serve up some old-fashioned snowball cocktails, two different pates, roast turkey with all the trimmings and a choice of homemade Christmas pudding or Rosemary’s special sherry trifle, plus wine and other seasonal treats.

David said: “It can be a very lonely time for people who are on their own on Christmas Day.

“We hope to repeat it again next year.”

The meal started with grace and finished with everybody listening to the Queen’s speech on Radio 4, followed by a Champagne royal toast.

Rosemary even went to the trouble of putting together a hamper for each of the guests to take away, filled with homemade goodies.

Donations from guests and supporters totalled £180, which went to the pavilion’s kitchen fund.

“The pavilion is a great asset to the village, but is badly in need of a new kitchen as all food is cooked elsewhere and bought in, making life difficult for the hall users,” said David.

“Planning permission has just gone in for the new kitchen and we hope to start work on it in 2017, provided we can raise the funds.”