DESPITE changes to a longstanding tradition, the spirit of the distribution of the Langley Bread to pensioners in St Ives lives on.

Councillor Martin Collier, St Ives Mayor, will be handing out bags of selected groceries to widows and widowers on Wednesday, January 11, between 10.30am and midday.

The tradition started in 1650 when Robert Langley left money to buy bread to be distributed each year in his will but has been changed in recent times to include sugar, tea, butter and biscuits. Only people from within the parish boundary are eligible.