Pendle and Ribble Valley joy in best-kept village awards

2:00pm Thursday 15th September 2011 in Sabden Photograph of the Author By Peter Magill, Chief reporter

LITTLE GEMS Blacko was named champion village LITTLE GEMS Blacko was named champion village

CAMPAIGNERS in two quiet corners of East Lancashire have cleaned up in the county’s best-kept villages awards.

An abundance of civic pride has seen Blacko named Lancashire’s champion village, narrowly pipping West Bradford, near Clitheroe.

And the best hamlet prize was presented to Wiswell, which scooped top honours after three runners-up placings.

Peter Hesketh, vice-chairman of Blacko Parish Council, said: “We have got a lot of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to make this happen.

“It makes Blacko such a pleasant place to live.

"And we’ve reached a point now where if someone sees something wrong, just while they are walking past, they will do something about it.”

He also paid tribute to the work of lengthsman David Bridge and his wife Vivienne, who co-ordinates volunteers.

In the recent past Blacko has been named the county’s best small village in 2002 and 2007.

The latter prize entitled them to compete for the champion category - but this was their last shot for glory as qualification only lasts for four years.

Parish councillor Maureen Robinson said Wiswell’s award was also due to the work of several community-spirited people.

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Work had focused on regenerating the community garden and adopting the village telephone box, alongside planting schemes, taken up by residents, and a weeding initiative targetting roadsides.

Coun Robinson said: “I was born and brought up in Wiswell and it is nice to have some community spirit going again.”

Elsewhere Sabden was highly commended in the medium village division, Copster Green was given the best first-time entrant prize and Chatburn was named the most improved medium village.

Merit certificates were handed out to Sts Peter and Paul Church in Ribchester, Longridge Hall nursing home, Brindle’s community hall, Waddington’s Coronation Gardens, Sabden Crown Green Bowling Club, and North Valley and Old Langho caravan parks.

Comments (5)

3:25pm Thu 15 Sep 11

midas says...

I am sure all the residents in Wiswells social (and affordable) housing will be jumping for joy!
I am sure all the residents in Wiswells social (and affordable) housing will be jumping for joy! midas

9:54pm Thu 15 Sep 11

Coeur de Lion says...

midas wrote:
I am sure all the residents in Wiswells social (and affordable) housing will be jumping for joy!
I don't suppose the residents of wherever you live will be entering the best kept village competition judging by your sneering comments, if they are anything like you they will have no pride in where they live.
[quote][p][bold]midas[/bold] wrote: I am sure all the residents in Wiswells social (and affordable) housing will be jumping for joy![/p][/quote]I don't suppose the residents of wherever you live will be entering the best kept village competition judging by your sneering comments, if they are anything like you they will have no pride in where they live. Coeur de Lion

9:28am Fri 16 Sep 11

midas says...

Yes Wiswell is renowned for it provision of social housing for the poor and unemployed. Its very easy for a village full of rich people to find some "community spirited" people!
.
I would be far more impressed with these civic minded people it they were providing this free service in areas of depravation rather than one of the most affluent areas in the County.
Yes Wiswell is renowned for it provision of social housing for the poor and unemployed. Its very easy for a village full of rich people to find some "community spirited" people! . I would be far more impressed with these civic minded people it they were providing this free service in areas of depravation rather than one of the most affluent areas in the County. midas

11:15am Fri 16 Sep 11

Coeur de Lion says...

midas wrote:
Yes Wiswell is renowned for it provision of social housing for the poor and unemployed. Its very easy for a village full of rich people to find some "community spirited" people!
.
I would be far more impressed with these civic minded people it they were providing this free service in areas of depravation rather than one of the most affluent areas in the County.
That is why people are queing up to buy property in the Ribble Valley and not in Burnley and Blackburn, because it is a pleasant place to live due in the main to the people who live there. Why should people from "affluent" areas tidy up after people who are too lazy and have no pride in their surroundings? As a rule of thumb the greater the unemployment in an area the more run down it becomes despite the people who live there having no jobs to go to and as such no excuse for not tidying up the place where they live. Why should a nice area provide social housing for people who contribute little to the country or economy, they would soon drag the area down to the level to which they have become accustomed
[quote][p][bold]midas[/bold] wrote: Yes Wiswell is renowned for it provision of social housing for the poor and unemployed. Its very easy for a village full of rich people to find some "community spirited" people! . I would be far more impressed with these civic minded people it they were providing this free service in areas of depravation rather than one of the most affluent areas in the County.[/p][/quote]That is why people are queing up to buy property in the Ribble Valley and not in Burnley and Blackburn, because it is a pleasant place to live due in the main to the people who live there. Why should people from "affluent" areas tidy up after people who are too lazy and have no pride in their surroundings? As a rule of thumb the greater the unemployment in an area the more run down it becomes despite the people who live there having no jobs to go to and as such no excuse for not tidying up the place where they live. Why should a nice area provide social housing for people who contribute little to the country or economy, they would soon drag the area down to the level to which they have become accustomed Coeur de Lion

11:46am Fri 16 Sep 11

midas says...

Due to the RICH people who move there. Lets pull up the drawbridge and leave the poor people to fight amongst themselves.
.
As IDS wrote in the Times yesterday these recent riots were a wake up call to the rich.
.
The only people that can afford houses in Wiswell, Pendelton, Waddington, Grindleton et al are the rich that move in, displacing the young local born who have to look elsewhere.
.
and you wonder why people in sink estates have "no pride" in comparison to those that have paid £500,000+ for a house in a village that enters a competition that perpetuates the status quo of the rich enclave!
Due to the RICH people who move there. Lets pull up the drawbridge and leave the poor people to fight amongst themselves. . As IDS wrote in the Times yesterday these recent riots were a wake up call to the rich. . The only people that can afford houses in Wiswell, Pendelton, Waddington, Grindleton et al are the rich that move in, displacing the young local born who have to look elsewhere. . and you wonder why people in sink estates have "no pride" in comparison to those that have paid £500,000+ for a house in a village that enters a competition that perpetuates the status quo of the rich enclave! midas

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