Best village and shop in the county

9:48am Wednesday 11th July 2001

PRINCES Risborough has come joint top in the 2001 Best Kept Village Competition for Buckinghamshire.

The town entered this year's competition in the Pushman Cup, for rural towns with a population of more than 3,000, and beat off strong competition to secure first place, along with Olney, North Bucks.

Judges for organisers, Buckinghamshire Association of Local Councils (BALC), were impressed at the strong showing by Princes Risborough, especially primary features, like the community centre, boundary hedges and the village green.

Ann Hooton, secretary to BALC, said: "The judges said the primary features were of a high standard and evidence of a community taking care of the town."

"It's a real feather in their cap. It's hard in the larger communities to keep control in the town but they've done that."

Chairman of the competition, Richard Pushman, said: "It never ceases to amaze me how the standard is raised year after year."

"Particularly noble this year was the absence of litter."

Gary Hall, chairman of the Best Kept Village committee for Princes Risborough, said it was a nice shock to receive first prize.

He said: "We weren't expecting to win but it's a pleasant surprise. A lot of people worked hard for it."

Beaver Scouts and the Young Farmers' Club turned out on two occasions, as well as town councillors and members of the public, to do litter picking around the town.

A competition, Best Kept Town Centre Premises, was also held, with shops in the town centre vying for the best premises.

Barry Clark, whose butchers, JH Clark & Sons in the town's High Street, won the competition, said he was very pleased about the award.

He said: "I'm over the moon. It's wonderful. It's quite an accolade and thanks ought to go to all those who generated the time and organisation for the competition."

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