JOHN GOODALL thought he was going to a friend’s birthday celebration at Timberscombe’s Orchard Social Club last Saturday - but he wasn’t.

Instead, he was astounded to discover that he was guest of honour at a surprise celebration to thank him for organising an astonishing 15,000 takeaway meals for the lonely and elderly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

John is founder and chairman of the club, based in the village’s Old Dairy, and the driving force behind a seven-day-a-week programme of care and entertainment – and he immediately took up the challenge posed by lockdown to make sure no-one in the village went hungry.

Carol Wheeler, who works with John supplying meals, organised the surprise party attended by more than 30 people, at which John was presented with a photograph of a parrot in an engraved frame and a gift of money to buy birds for his aviary.

“We have kept on doing takeaway meals for everyone who needs them - not just lunches but fish and chips and cream teas and even breakfasts - for those who were unable to leave their homes, as well as checking on vulnerable people,” Carol said.

“John is nearly 83 but he just keeps going, and everyone in the village and friends of the dairy thought we should do something to recognise what an amazing job he has done.

“He thought he was coming to celebrate my birthday, which is actually next week, and I had asked him to come and give me a hand - to make sure he was there - and, being John, I knew he would.”

Carol added: “His wife Phyllis was in on it and knew what was happening. We did manage to keep it secret. John was very touched. I have known him 20-odd years and I’ve never known him lost for words. But he was last Saturday!”

John said: “I was very affected by what they did. I never expected anything like that. I love helping people in the village and I like to think that no-one goes hungry or in need of help when it’s necessary.

“I was really surprised by the presentation. The party would have been more than enough but to get presents as well - probably for the first time in my life I just didn’t know what to say!”