Audlem 'Highly Commended' as St Neot wins 'Best of the Best'

Yesterday, in London, the winner of the Calor sponsored 'Best of the Best' competition was announced with St Neot in Cornwall winning the award and total prize money of £21,000.

The competition was open to all the villages in England, Scotland and Wales that had won either national or regional awards in Calor's 'Village of the Year' competition over the past 10 years. Audlem, as the winner of the North of England award in 2005, entered but the Northern regional award this time went to East Keswick, a village just outside Leeds in Yorkshire. Richard Furber, chairman of Audlem Parish Council, did however return from London with a framed 'Highly Commended' certificate to add to the array of awards won by Audlem in the past year.

Other regional winners at yesterday's event were Wales – Llangemyw, Conwy; Scotland – Assynt, Sutherland; South – Ashington, West Sussex; East – Sutton, Cambridgeshire; West and national winner – St Neot, Cornwall and Central – Ashover, Derbyshire, who pipped Audlem to the national title last year.

Richard Furber said after the event: "We really enjoyed competing in the 'Best of the Best' event and to be in the running with so many other excellent villages. The 'Village of the Year' has really given us a chance to show what a great place Audlem is to people all over the country."

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