Awards for Hunsdon in the 2004-5 Village of the Year competition

In the 2004-5 Village of the Year competition, organised in Hertfordshire by CPRE and sponsored by Calor, Hunsdon was selected by the panel of local judges as Hertfordshire's overall Village of the Year.  The award was based on a written submission made by the Parish Council and a visit by judges to the village in June.  In their commendation the judges highlighted the " Great strides in improving community life over the last three years" and the "Desire to keep village identity". 

Subsequently Hunsdon went on to represent Hertfordshire in the Calor Village of the Year Competition for England and Wales, and presented to the regional judges in October.  The results of this year’s competition were announced by guest of honour Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the well-known television personality and farmer-chef famous for his Channel 4 River Cottage Series, at an awards luncheon held on Tuesday 7th December in London - when we learned that Hunsdon had won the Community Life category in the Eastern England and Home Counties region of the competition, competing against villages from Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.  Bud Carthy (Chairman of the Parish Council) and John Ashley MBE attended on behalf of the village and collected a framed certificate and £500 prize money from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Calor’s managing director, Howard Kerr.

Picture of the national award ceremony on 7th December

The presentation to Hunsdon of the Hertfordshire Village of the Year award was made on 24th July 2004.  The presentation party included:

Mr Simon Bowes Lyon, Lord Lieutenant of the County

Mr Nicholas Halsey, TD, DL, Chairman, CPRE - The Hertfordshire Society

Mr Keith Emsall, Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council and Mrs Carol Emsall

The Chairman of East Herts. District Council, Cllr Derek Mayes and his wife

Mr Dave Haddon, Calor Gas

Miss Dorothy Abel Smith, Village of the Year Judge

Mr Tom Davidson, Village of the Year Judge, and Mrs Jenny Davidson

Mrs Joyce Jackson, Village of the Year Judge, and Mr Bob Jackson

Mr Alan Woollaston, Village of the Year Judge and Mrs Cindy Woollaston

Mrs Jo Simson, Village of the Year Administrator

Over 200 villagers came to watch the presentation and join in the celebration of a great day for Hunsdon.

The day in pictures (courtesy of Mandy Newman and Glen Thompson).  Click on a thumbnail to see the full image:

Many thanks to everyone who came to support the village on the day, but especially to a few people who made a special contribution - in all case voluntarily:

John Ashley, for tidying the Village Hall car park

Ben Brinkley for collecting the VotY pole from Furneux Pelham

Andy Hill for digging the hole and setting the pole in place

Lewis Morrison for refurbishing the pole

Jackie Carthy, Karen and Phil Clark for managing refreshments, and many others who provided them