A WORCESTERSHIRE resident's impressive poem about life in Wychavon has been recognised by councillors.

Paul Wareing from Bickmarsh regularly writes poetry for his special Facebook page on topical issues and uses it as a creative outlet.

The app developer recently saw the results of a Halifax Quality of Life survey that ranked the Wychavon district as second overall in a list of the best rural place to live in the UK.

The study considered a range of factors to pin point the places with the best quality of life, including life expectancy, health, employment rates, crime, education, broadband access, population densities and the weather.

Wychavon District councillors have been taking pride in the result for the Worcestershire district, which is home to towns including Evesham, Pershore and Droitwich, showing the leisure provision and economic support including an investment in arts and entertainment by the authority, has paid off.

The survey encouraged Mr Wareing to create his own poem, named Wychavon, which is about villages, towns and businesses in the area and features some inspiring lines including: "A valley bright and golden, with Evesham's riverside, Wychavon our well kept secret, we can no longer hide."

The poem was read out at the latest full council meeting, held on April 26, with Mr Wareing presented with a special framed copy of the poem to take away with him.

Mr Wareing said: "I was honoured to be asked to read my poem out at Wychavon's council meeting and it was wonderful to have the framed version as a keepsake.

"It truly is a wonderful district, so it wasn’t hard to find the inspiration to put it together.”

Councillor Frances Smith, chairman of Wychavon, added: "We were thrilled to see Paul's wonderful poem about our district and we were even more pleased when he agreed to come and read it at our council meeting."

The full poem:

Wychavon

We've Broadway in the Cotswolds,

Pretty as any seen,

So mild in microclimate,

With fields of emerald green,

From Hartlebury castle,

To Bredon's gentle hill,

With Hanbury and the Lenches,

There's Pershore plums grown still,

A place called Upton Snodsbury,

Wyre Piddle if you please,

Honeybourne's rather lovely,

Norton's hiding in the trees,

And Corbett's Chateau Impney,

Was built from salty brine,

While Egwin's saintly Ombersley,

Came from the mists of time.

Droitwich's canal and lido,

Is near Webbs of old Wychbold,

Salwarpe Churchfields ice cream,

Is best when it's not cold,

A valley bright and golden,

With Evesham's riverside,

Wychavon our well kept secret,

We can no longer hide.

Wychavon

We've Broadway in the Cotswolds,

Pretty as any seen,

So mild in microclimate,

With fields of emerald green,

From Hartlebury castle,

To Bredon's gentle hill,

With Hanbury and the Lenches,

There's Pershore plums grown still,

A place called Upton Snodsbury,

Wyre Piddle if you please,

Honeybourne's rather lovely,

Norton's hiding in the trees,

And Corbett's Chateau Impney,

Was built from salty brine,

While Egwin's saintly Ombersley,

Came from the mists of time.

Droitwich's canal and lido,

Is near Webbs of old Wychbold,

Salwarpe Churchfields ice cream,

Is best when it's not cold,

A valley bright and golden,

With Evesham's riverside,

Wychavon our well kept secret,

We can no longer hide.

By Paul Wareing