A village has been named the best in Britain thanks to “friendship, laughter and hours of soggy leaf picking”.
The Washington in Bloom group beat off competition from 80 other communities to capture the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Great Britain in Bloom gold award for best village.
Joan Atkinson, a member of the 15-strong group, said friendship and long hours of planting and weeding had brought success to the village, which has a population of just 400.
An RHS spokeswoman said the village’s community spirit “shone through”.
Mrs Atkinson, 75, said the group met every Sunday to patrol the village and make sure it looked its best.
She said the group, whose ages range from 13 to 80, met three nights a week, often in the rain, to pick up wet leaves in the run-up to the competition.
“We laugh in the rain, then have tea and often treat ourselves to a glass of wine,” said Mrs Atkinson, adding: “There isn’t really any rivalry between villages because we are far apart and all on are based on each other. over Great Britain.
“There might be the occasional spike on each other’s Facebook pages to see what we’re doing, but that’s about it.”
Mrs Atkinson was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and said it was a “heartbreaking” time.
“The love of the group has gotten me through 40 radiation treatments – it’s largely based on friendship and pride in our village,” she said.
The RHS spokeswoman said: “The judges commented on the very clear community spirit that radiates throughout the village, with everyone working together to ensure the longevity and sustainability of Washington in Bloom.”