At the 16th AGM of The Badsey Society, the annual Tony Jerram Award presentation was made. The award is given each year in memory of the late Tony Jerram (1937-2008), the first Chairman of The Badsey Society, and is given to somebody who the members feel has contributed to the good of the local community. This year, the award was given to Patrick Sparrow, in recognition of his long record of voluntary service to the community of Badsey and Aldington. Until his retirement in 2016, he served as Honorary Treasurer of the Badsey Flower Show Committee for 40 years. This length of service to a parish organization has rarely been matched. Furthermore, he was prominent in the formation of the Aldington Residents’ Association, which has done much good work in promoting community spirit in that village; he served as its Chairman for about ten years.

Mrs Barbara Jerram presented Patrick with the award. It was noted that Patrick’s older brother, Terry, had been the recipient of the award four years previously. The Sparrow brothers between them have given nigh on a hundred years’ of service to the village between them.

Following an interval, Terry Sparrow spoke about the history of Badsey Rangers Football Club. Will Dallimore and Brian “Betjeman” Smith, the Aldington poet, then entertained the assembled group with readings from a selection of Brian’s poems, accompanied by light-hearted banter.