MORE than 50 property firm staff recently gathered at Fabio's restaurant in Old Town to enjoy an event that is now regarded as something of an institution.

Celebrating its 15th year, the Old Town Property Professionals lunch was first set up to 'beat the recession blues', according to founder Les Durrant, group chairman of the DPDS Consulting Group in Devizes Road.

He said: "It started off in 1989 as a sort of recession-busting initiative.

"It was a bit tongue-in-cheek because we thought if we organised it and invited all the other property-related professionals, they'd be too embarrassed not to come if we said it was only going to cost a tenner each.

"So we rounded everybody up and put two fingers up to the recession. And it seems to have worked, doesn't it?"

Today, the lunch is held every quarter, and amid a buffet of crispy mushrooms and chicken drumsticks, Old Town agents and solicitors get the chance to network.

Mr Durrant said: "It almost lapsed at one point when the recession ended and we were really too busy to organise it.

"But everybody now seems to look forward to it and the ethos remains the same local professionals swapping stories and experiences. Plus of course it's great fun."