Denmead pensioners’ delight at ‘brilliant’ festive meal for elderly community as White Hart pub welcomes 90 guests for food, music, and company

One attendee said that the party, hosted at the White Hart on by landlord Steve Burridge and landlady Julie Burridge, is ‘like a Christmas present’ for those who are lonely or isolated.

It is the fourth annual festive meal hosted for elderly people held at the Hambledon Road pub - although last year’s celebrations had to be missed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Around 90 guests wore festive hats and pulled crackers with each other as they enjoyed good food, music, and company together on Wednesday.

Steve organises and runs the Christmas meal along with wife Julie.

The pub team picks up people who need a lift to the Christmas meal and makes sure that they have a good time by sitting them on large tables with other guests.

Steve said: ‘We get the OAPs in - a lot of them are lonely, especially after what they’ve gone through over the last year.

‘We get them all in, we’ve got a singer going on, we’ll play a bit of bingo and do a raffle, we buy them all a little present.’

Julie added: ‘We’re just glad we could do it.

‘It’s nice to see them all out, it’s great.’

Husband and wife Carole and Richard ‘Dicky’ Gautey, who live in Denmead, were ‘very pleased’ to be invited to the Christmas meal.

Richard said: ‘We’ve lived here since January, we moved up from Cosham. I’ve had to get used to the peace and quiet.

‘It’s a very laidback area and it’s a gorgeous pub.

‘This is brilliant - it’s a very nice social occasion.’

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John and Aileen Fletcher, who live in Waterlooville, visit the White Hart pub every Monday.

Aileen said that the Christmas meal is an ‘absolutely fantastic’ idea, while John added: ‘What can you grumble about - free meal, free drink, great company.’

Sue Chambers, who lives in Denmead, said: ‘I come here every year. A lot of these people can’t get out of the home and it’s the only time they can get out.

‘It’s enormous - it really brings them up.

‘It’s like a Christmas present coming to the meal - you can’t thank them enough.

‘You couldn’t ask for better people - the two make them feel warm inside.’

Meryl Partridge, who lives at Rookwood View, said: ‘We’re trying to take things as they come - it’s very good of them to do it again.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron.

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