A year on from when the Men's Breakfast first opened its doors was the perfect time for the website to call in and see how things were going as well as checking on the progress of the Chapel Redevelopment Project.

The Men's Breakfast takes place on the first Saturday of every month, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., in the Chapel Schoolroom and is exactly what it “says on the tin”, a chance for gentlemen to enjoy a bacon or sausage sandwich (vegetarian options available), a cup of tea or coffee, have a chat, meet other villagers and, of course, put the world to rights. A friendly welcome is always on the table for anyone who wishes to pop along, no need to book, just turn up. There is no charge, but donations are appreciated.

For the first time ever the supplies of bacon and sausage ran out (but not before the 14 gentleman present had well and truly assuaged their pangs of hunger) but this certainly didn't quell the lively discussion and laughter emanating from a pleasantly warm schoolroom as this member of the website team arrived.

Usually between 8-14 men turn up for breakfast where diverse subjects come under discussion. At the October get-together the frequent topic of the weather was, of course, very apt as the first of the named winter storms passed through. With friendly banter, fishermen swap stories, golf stories are recounted and good husbandry advice is passed on by members of the farming community. The poor mobile phone signal in the village is a frequent topic.

The breakfast provides a convivial opportunity to get involved in the life of the village, learn about what interests other people and was, everyone agreed, “a very enjoyable thing to do”.

The breakfast is obviously going from strength to strength. Real coffee is now served from a newly acquired coffee machine (previously it was just instant) and, very correctly now, there is an elegant milk jug on the table. (The website will refrain from saying what happened before!)

That the breakfast has been so successful is remarkable given the constraints under which it has been operating. From the start it has had to contend with the redevelopment work on the chapel, often functioning without a kitchen of any description. Many of the events on the Chapel's calendar have worked under the same difficulties, but none of them have been cancelled, the building work has been adapted to accommodate. Chief Steward, Tim Abel, who has been co-ordinating the project, said “I am proud to say that, despite about eight months of delays, there have been no wrong words from any of the congregation, just a genuine interest in progress”.

The kitchen should be finished soon, problems with the flooring having caused slight delays. It is a large space, with impressive banks of electrical sockets and once fully fitted, will be a marvellous facility for community bookings for which it will be available. Work has started on the building of the porch to allow covered access from the chapel, although this has been a bigger job than first anticipated with foundations needing to be deeper as the ground underneath proved to be sandy. About one meter of earth has had to be dug out to allow for a firm bed of concrete to be laid. Tim remarked how this had highlighted the firmness of the foundations of the chapel, how well it had been built and that the building could be safely reported as being completely weatherproof.

The final phase is the building of a shop and cafe on the west side of the chapel and funding for this work is currently being sought.

The final words probably belong to Tim “ We knew we had to do something to keep the chapel viable going forward-it costs a lot to run and maintain. So many chapels have closed and have subsequently become homes. We have kept battling on, knowing we are getting there and are determined to see the job through. The end result will be a marvellous village asset, offering a place to meet, somewhere to have a cuppa and a chat, meeting the needs of the community as a whole”.

To enquire about booking the chapel and/or schoolroom, please contact Angie Archbold. To email click here.