SUCCESS: Peter Burns, chairman of Helmdon Parish Council, holds the runner's-up trophy watched by other villagers.

Success for local villages

TOUGH competition in the Calor Northamptonshire Village of the Year Competition has seen Helmdon come runner-up.

The village has also come first in the medium village category and runner-up in the information communication technology category, while Whittlebury was highly commended in the medium villages section.

In the building community life section, Whittlebury was runner-up in the medium villages category, while Helmdon was highly commended.

Villages involved in the competition were judged on six aspects of village life with categories in building community life, business, young people, older people, the environment and information communication technology.

Helmdon Parish Council chairman, Peter Bums, said the whole village usually got involved in the competition, which saw it win in 1996, 1999 and 2002.

He said: "We have figured prominently in the competition for several years and we have always taken an interest even though the nature of it has changed over the years. It is very much a village event and is supported by everyone. When the judges came to visit us around 40 people came into The Bell to represent their organisation and answer questions from the judges."

David Scudamore, chair of the Calor Village of the Year competition, said: "Choosing the winning villages was extremely difficult with communities continually improving their community spirit.

"Generally, the most successful villages were those where the whole community was involved."

The Brackley & Towcester Advertiser - 4th August 2006