Sisters Averil Beresford and Sally Taylor were honoured for their decades of dedication to Trowbridge during the town’s civic dinner.

Mrs Taylor collected the civic award, at the ceremony which took place at Trow-bridge Civic Centre on Saturday, acknowledging her efforts and those of her sister Mrs Beresford, 82, who died in October last year.

For the last 20 years, the pair had taken to the streets in patriotic costumes on St George’s Day, handing out flowers and rosettes, a tradition Mrs Taylor plans to carry on this year.

Mrs Taylor said: “It is a great honour and my only wish is that Averil would have been there as she’d have absolutely loved it.”

The sisters had been members of Trowbridge in Bloom, the town’s twinning association and horticultural society as well as volunteering at Trowbridge Museum.

During the event, Legal & General received the town enhancement award for the £17m St Stephen’s Place Leisure Park, which opened last October. The award was collected by Castle Place manager Julie Davis, inset. The centre now has an Odeon cinema, Nando’s, Prezzo and 80-bed Premier Inn.

The civic dinner raised £1,000 for Trowbridge mayor David Halik’s nominated charities, Storehouse Foodbank and counselling organisation Revival Wiltshire RASAC.

He said: “Special thanks go to the civic centre staff and caterers for excellent customer service, and the DJ, Wired for Sound, who gave his services free. It was a privilege to serve the people of Trowbridge in my mayoral year and I hope I have helped more people discover and love Trowbridge.”

Tim Russell, Legal & Gen-eral Property’s senior asset manager, said: “We are honoured to receive this award which recognises the social enhancement and regeneration benefits that thoughtful development can bring.

“Our St Stephen’s Place scheme looks to not only extend leisure choices available to the local area, but welcome visitors from further afield, creating jobs and economic growth.”

l Mayor’s thanks: Page 39