FOR 19 years the Men of Morchard have been entertaining people with, on average, a concert once a fortnight, by doing so, raising more than £250,000 for charities and organisations.

With two final concerts on their home stage at Morchard Bishop Memorial Hall, the Men of Morchard had a stupendous farewell, from which funds raised will be distributed within the village.

The beginning could probably be blamed on the 1992 presentation of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat when Anton Heal produced a brilliant Elvis and there was a male chorus.

They were too good to end then and, with encouragement, went on to give concerts. In 1995 they won the Sunday Independent Talent Trail when 100 Morchard people went to the final at Yealmpton to cheer them.

Of the original group Mike Canning, Richard Tapp, Anton Heal, Neville Taylor and Ray Cook were members to the end.

On both evenings, the current Men were boosted by former members returning from Dorset, Somerset and other parts of Devon. Mike Canning said the ages of the current group totalled 664, with the former members it was more than 1,000 years. Member Chris Marshall celebrated his 70th birthday that weekend, too.

During the Friday evening, £5,000 was shared between Hospiscare, MS Society and Alzheimer's Society.

Anne Friend, Hospiscare Crediton fundraising committee co-ordinator, received £2,500. Jenny Smith of Crediton MS Society received £1,250 as did Jacqueline Patten for the Alzheimer's Society.

Mrs Friend, who has been fundraising for Hospiscare for more than 25 years, said the charity was 30 years old that weekend. It had begun with £54 and one nurse in Exeter.

It was now a business of £2 million or more a year, 28 community nurses working in the area covered by Okehampton to Axminster and Cullompton to the coast.

"We would not have done this without people such as the Men of Morchard and the people of Mid Devon," she said.

Jenny Smith said the £1,250 would mean a lot to people in Crediton and district with MS and their carers.

On both evenings the Men of Morchard staged the concerts, the atmosphere was so good, and neither evening was not without incidents that made both memorable. Not many dry eyes were left at the end of the concert.

Money raised at the Men of Morchard's two final concerts is to be used in Morchard Bishop. Organisations in the village are asked to put in a bid for financial help.