Five-star team effort by best kept village

The co-ordinator of the best kept village team at Coven, Yvonne Millward, was presented with the Express & Star and South Staffordshire Housing Association award last night, and was full of praise for the community effort made by local teenagers. Coven also won the award for best large village in the district.

Mrs Millward said: "We are all delighted to have done so well again. Our community has been brilliant in supporting us," she added.

This year's county competition, the 54th, attracted entries from 63 villages across the county. Lapley won best small village in the district and also triumphed as the best overall small village in the county.

Walton-on-the-Hill, Stafford, was the best kept large village in Staffordshire.

Lapley co-ordinator Mike Fox said he was thrilled and susrprised that the village had won the county title for the first time.

"There is a team of about a dozen who have been involved. Everyone has done their best to keep Lapley tidy."

Community Council of Staffordshire chairman Joan Davies said all the participating village teams had worked very hard.

"You are all winners for all the hard work you have put in," she said.

Best kept village competition chairman John Perry said eight villages had entered for the first time in a decade or for the very first time.

"The standard of new entries was refreshingly high and overall the entries were of a very high standard. We have seen some wonderful churchyards, really attractive pubs and lush looking playing fields and village greens this year," he added.

Councillor Ben Adams, county council cabinet member for communities and culture, said the competition had engendered community spirit.