The Peterkin Award is a glass Rosebowl donated by former Judge, Miss Margaret Peterkin, presented to an individual making an outstanding contribution to community life.

Here is Robin Wordsworth receiving this award from Jenny Davidson. We are sure you will agree that this is very richly deserved!

However, our village found itself up against Ashwell in the North Herts section of the Village of the Year and, as they went on to become the overall winners, we clearly had some stiff competition!

All the same we did come away with a plaque to display in the village saying that Knebworth had won the Business category. This is what the Judges said about us:

Diverse and thriving businesses help villages to be self-sufficient and to reduce their carbon footprint. For any business to flourish in a village, it must not only be supported by, but must also support the community.

Councillor David Levett Chairman of NHDC
with Joy and Barry Hall and John Bantick.

The winning village is fortunate in benefiting from a wide range of shops and services, the majority of which are very supportive of local organisations and the village festival. This support ranges from putting up a poster in a shop window to sponsoring programmes, advertising in the Parish News, donating raffle prizes, lending barbecue equipment, and donating barbecue food, using Estate Agents' signs to advertise events, doubling as Box Offices - the list is almost endless. In turn, village groups and event organisers buy as many supplies and source as many services as possible locally.
Winner: Knebworth –

- which we think must be quite encouraging for newcomers to the competition like us!

We enjoyed a very convivial awards evening at County Hall, with wine and refreshments. As the winners, Ashwell get to provide lunch for us on July 24th when the awards are presented again, officially, along with a cheque for £100. We haven’t decided what to spend it on yet, but no doubt it will be something to benefit the village.

Thanks to all those of you who sent us material to help to compile the village entry and who met the Judges to present their special areas of interest.

AND - whatever the Judges said about the other villages in the competition, we still think it’s great living in Knebworth!
 
Barry and Joy Hall.