The winners of a competition designed to encourage people to share their most favourite things about Bury St Edmunds have been announced.
People from across the borough took part in the St Edmundsbury Borough Council competition, which tied in with the September launch of a campaign to find Bury St Edmunds lovers from far and wide. The three lucky winners have now been presented with their prizes by Cllr Frank Warby, St Edmundsbury’s Borough Mayor.
Hospital volunteer Joan McCarthy, of Bury St Edmunds, won first prize of a night of luxury at the town’s famous Angel Hotel. She listed the three things she loved the most as the West Suffolk Hospital, the shops and the history. She said:
“To win something is wonderful and I was not expecting it all. You always think these things will never happen to you. I think Bury is a lovely little town – I have a great affinity for it. The people are very nice and friendly, the Abbey Gardens are absolutely wonderful and the market is lovely. The competition was a good idea as it helps promote Bury.”
Carol Lawrence, also from Bury, won a year’s worth of free films at the Cineworld complex. She named the Abbey Gardens, the market and the multiplex as the things she loved most about the town and said:
“It is the ideal prize as my seven-year-old son loves going to the cinema. He says it will be great to be able to go and see all the films so we hope we’ll get good use out of it.
“The competition was a good idea as it has made people a bit more aware of what goes on in the town – and it has made councillors aware of what people actually like about Bury.”
Brenda Turner, from Great Barton, was the final winner and was presented with six months’ free parking. She highlighted the Abbey Gardens, Cathedral Tower and the Country Market, which takes place every Wednesday and Friday in the Oddfellows Hall. She said:
“I am very pleased with the prize and will now have to come into Bury more to make the most of it! It will come in handy when I’m doing Christmas shopping. I am looking forward to the Cattle Market development, as there will be more shops. I’d rather shop locally rather than go to Ipswich or Cambridge and I’m sure the development will have enough stores for me to browse round.”
The campaign to find Bury St Edmunds lovers has been designed to coincide with the start of work on the Cattle Market site. Once complete, the £100 million scheme will have 35 shops, a Debenhams department store, residential flats and a multi-purpose public building.
St Edmundsbury is working with developers Centros Miller to deliver the project.
ENDS
Note to editors: The competition showed the five things people loved most about the town were:
- AbbeyGardens,
- Market,
- Cathedral,
- Historic buildings,
- Floral displays.
ISSUED BY LIZ HEARNSHAW, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel 01284 757033. liz.hearnshaw@stedsbc.gov.uk
