Thorncombe Gardening Club celebrated its 20th birthday - by welcoming former politician Ann Widdecombe to a dinner and talk at the village hall. 

Some 34 club members and partners tucked into a home-cooked, four-course meal in the committee room, before adjourning to the main hall with coffee and to welcome more guests who had arrived for the talk.  

Ms Widdecombe served as a MP for more than 20 years and was then a MEP for the South West for a year. Originally a member of the Conservative Party, she was a member of the Brexit Party from 2019 until it was renamed Reform UK in 2021.

Since then she has made a number of TV and radio appearances and written several books.

Ms Widdecombe entertained the gathering 'amusingly and interestingly', with anecdotes from her childhood, her parliamentary career and subsequently her appearances on Big Brother, Strictly Come Dancing with Anton du Beke (who said she would excel so long as her feet didn’t touch the ground), in pantomime with Craig Revel Horwood, and the many books she had written, of which a selection was displayed for the benefit of prospective purchasers.

Bridport and Lyme Regis News:

Anne Widdecombe pictured in 2019 as as the Brexit Party secures seats in the South West region during the European Parliamentary elections count at the Civic Centre in Poole    Picture: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

 

Ms Widdecombe commented that it was not often that she came across such a great community spirit as that to be found in Thorncombe.

Members offered their thanks to the committee and their helpers, who had arranged the evening and cooked, served and cleared away.

The club said it was very grateful to Ms Widdecombe for her generosity.