'Oscars' success last night for Bill Consterdine and Audlem (now with photos)

It was an amazing night for Audlem and a personal triumph for Bill Consterdine at last night's Mayor's Oscars in Nantwich Civic Hall. (The website link that was here no longer works) Applauded by the 400 guests, nominees and sponsors, Bill Consterdine won the ultimate personal accolade, the Citizen's Award. Given for his unstinting work for sport in South Cheshire, his long and successful service on Audlem Parish Council and his work for the Nantwich Show, Bill was described in the citation as "the real star of this evening." Bill's response was moving as he said in a brief acceptance speech: "My father won this award some years ago. I hope he is looking down this evening and saying 'Well done Bill'."

Bill also won the Malcolm Cox award for Sporting Excellence in recognition for all his work behind the scenes in local sport, particularly athletics and swimming and, in an amazing hat-trick of success, was one of the team that picked up the Oscar for Community Initiative of the Year awarded to the Cumberland Arena Regeneration Group.

In the final award of the night, the Mayor's Special Award, the winners were Audlem Parish Council. The Mayor, Councillor Maureen Grant, said in her citation: (The website link that was here no longer works) "I was amazed that Audlem, just a month ago, could pack its Public Hall to the rafters to celebrate four major achievements – winning the national Defra 'Building Community Life' award; winning the Calor North of England Village of the Year award, and that is for a village that only just gets into the Northern region by less than a mile; launching its Parish Plan and its Parish Council gaining Quality status, the first council in the area to achieve this."

As the Audlem representatives left the stage, one prominent local personality said "I wish we could bottle the community spirit in your village and pass it around everywhere."

There was another Oscar with local connections. Maxine Nield, the daughter of Geoff and Olive Stretch, was the joint winner of the window display award for her business Gift Box. In all, it was a great night for Audlem with winners in virtually a third of the awards during the evening.

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