A VILLAGE council are celebrating after they were awarded with the best kept playing field award for a second time.

Tillingham’s West Field, owned and maintained by Tillingham Village Council, was recognised as the best playing field serving a population of less than 2,500 at the Essex Playing Fields Association’s AGM last Thursday.

Council chairman, Robert Harvey, and clerk, Sheila Welham, attended the evening’s event at the Essex Police Sport and Social Club in Chelmsford.

The night saw them pick up the top prize for a second time, having also previously won best football pitch and best children’s playing field in the past.

It is a great achievement for the village council, who work hard to maintain the field, gifted to the people of Tillingham in the 1950s, throughout the year.

Chairman, Robert Harvey said: “We own the grounds and are responsible for the maintenance but we would not have been able to win the award without the clubs who are down there and put in a lot of hard work.

“The main ones are Tillingham Football Club, Tillingham Cricket Club, the Tillingham Tigers youth football team and the bows club who all use the field.

“To win it once is quite good, but I think to win it twice is really quite an achievement. Even in between the two wins we have always received a gold standard award for the West Field.”

The awards were handed out by the former Lord Lieutenant of Essex, John Petre, and by the chairman of Essex County Council, John Aldridge.

The council put themselves forward for the award each year, which starts a long, secretive judging process before the winners are revealed.

Councillor Harvey explained: “We have judges come round before the day to take a look at each site but we are not allowed to know when they are coming or who they are. Even after the awards are handed out we can’t know. It is all very secretive.”