VILLAGERS in Hanley Swan can be justifiably proud of the reputation of their picture postcard village but just 25 years ago the picture in question was very different.

In August this year judges in the Worcestershire Best Kept Village competition named Hanley Swan the winner in the large village section, after it narrowly saw off the challenge of Clent and Chaddesley Corbett.

In responding to the news, the parish council chairman Sue Roberts noted the effort made by the whole community, as well as particular individuals.

"Brian Robinson always keeps the pond looking beautiful and it's the pond that makes Hanley Swan," she said.

Very different thoughts were running through the mind of Mr Horace Firth when he addressed a meeting of the Parish Council in 1975.

"The village green is in the most unsightly condition it has been in since 1939," he said.

"It is in a shocking state. Dozens of cars park on it every weekend, and nothing can stop them. The green itself is now at a lower level than the road, and unless something is done about it soon we shan't have a green worth bothering with.

"The pond is no better - it has hardly any water in it and is full of weeds and litter."

He was supported by the chairman of the council, Col M G Holmes, who lamented the lack of local support.

"What support will we get from the village if it is cleared up?" he asked.

"The whole village has got to be in on this and all I get at the moment is complaints. I don't get many people saying 'What can I do to help you get this place cleaned up'."

Despite the gloom, there was a positive outcome - to ask the county surveyor for advice on how the green can be tidied and pond cleared.

From ugly duckling to beautiful Swan - not bad for 25 years.