COMMUNITY spirit flowed in Watchet when the icy weather threatened to scupper a Christmas Day tradition.

Volunteers from the town's Phoenix Centre - formerly the Red Cross - have been cooking a festive lunch for local people spending Christmas alone for the past 20 years.

The guests - many from the regular luncheon clubs run by the centre throughout the year - look forward to sharing a meal and some seasonal cheer with friends at the centre.

But this year with the snow still lying on the ground and the pavements and roads treacherous, organisers decided they could not take the risk of transporting the lunch guests from their homes.

So they decided they had no option but to take the meals to the guests.

The town's carnival committee, Watchet LIVE CIC, had already offered to cover the cost of the food with a £250 donation from its successful 2010 music festival.

And a handful of members - chairman Mark Bale, his wife Jackie, Bob and Sandie Hornby and Nigel Pike, together with Daniel Darrell and his parents Peter and Fiona Darrell - got into their four-wheeled drive vehicles for the meal delivery run.

They were helped by Mike and Loretta Whetlor, who also provided the wine.

In addition to a tasty lunch, each of the 20 lucky recipients also received a present, including chocolates, shortbread, fruit and sweets, which Phoenix Centre volunteers had wrapped up on Christmas Eve.

On kitchen duty for the day were stalwarts Jean Howe, Joan Bosley, Ann Lewis, Pam Bosley and Tina and Norman Yaw, who rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into the preparations at 8.30am and did not get home until 5pm.

"It was certainly different to our usual Christmas Day and we were disappointed that we couldn't take the risk of trying to get people to the centre," said Mrs Howe.

"But we didn't want anyone to go without and delivering the meals to them was the next best thing.

"It went extremely well and the people who received the meals were so appreciative.

"And it was marvellous to have the help of the carnival club members - they were tremendous.

"Everyone worked together so well - it was a real community effort."

Mrs Howe said it was the first time in 20 years that the Christmas lunches had not been served in the centre.

But she said the success of the deliveries had opened a new window, with the possibility that they could be continued next year, alongside the centre-based celebration, for the housebound.