A POPULAR group of fit ladies, Charlie's Angels, sprang a surprise on their leader in Stoke Climsland recently.

The 22-strong keep-fit club, not to be confused with the TV trio of the same name, arranged for a bouquet from Tesco to be presented to its founder, Charlie Edmunds, at Stoke Climsland Parish Hall.

Member Jill Harman said: 'We are a group of mature ladies ranging in age from 58 to 91. Everybody attempts to exercise within their own capabilities but all attend for the friendship and fun that this group provides.'

Charlie said she was ' gob-smacked' when she was presented with the bouquet.

'This is a huge surprise,' she said.

Charlie set up the aptly-named exercise class in 1999 and still runs it, though she swears she doesn't do exercise.

'I am just not an exercise person, I was just asked to do this.'

'This' includes booking the hall, organising outings for members, giving out Easter eggs and at Christmas booking the group into Trethorne Golf Club for dinner, bowling and dodgems.

Moya Makin, who arranged the surprise, said: 'Charlie is full of kindness — an old fashioned word but it sums her up.'

Alan Woollcombe from Tesco, who presented the bouquet, said: 'Charlie has put her heart and soul into the Stoke Climsland community for many years. She has given an awful lot of people an awful lot of fun over the years. Tesco is delighted to be able to give her something back by way of thanks on behalf of the community.'

Jill added: 'Really it is Charlie herself who is the angel. We as a group can only say a huge thank you to this wonderful woman has so unselfishly devoted her time and energy into bringing so much pleasure and happiness into the lives of our fitness group.'

Charlie's Angels meet most Thursdays at 10am at Stoke Climsland parish Hall. For more information, email [email protected]">[email protected] or call 01579 370798.