VILLAGERS gathered to offer up their thanks for another successful harvest at the weekend.
Residents from Little Warley and the surrounding area converged on Little Warley and Childerditch Village Hall, in Magpie Lane, on Saturday evening for a £25-a-head three-course meal, a raffle and an amusing after dinner speech by Labour peer Lord Griffiths of Burry Port.
The annual event, which has been going for the past 25 years, was organised by Brentwood borough councillor David Tee, a member of the village hall committee.
This year, 56 people, including Gazette chief reporter Chris Richards, attended the event, which also featured live music from South Korean couple Kido Baek and Seunghee Han, both friends of Mr Tee.
The councillor also unveiled a letter he had received from the Queen thanking the people of Little Warley for lighting the village beacon in honour of her Diamond Jubilee earlier this year.
"I was reasonably happy with the turn out although there were about 20 people who came in previous years who could not make it this time as they had other commitments," Mr Tee said.
He added: "We put this on each year as a village event so that church people and non-church people can mingle."
