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'Slow' accolade for border town

A Northumberland town has joined an elite worldwide club which helps small communities retain their identity in the face of globalisation. Berwick-upon-Tweed is the sixth place in the UK to be awarded Cittaslow status, an Italian term that translates as “slow city”. The movement aims to promote local goods and enhance uniqueness, particularly in heritage and culture.

Cittaslow, open to towns with under 50,000 residents, was first adopted in the UK by Ludlow in Shropshire. All towns that apply to join the network are assessed against more than 60 different criteria, such as environmental protection, protection of local traditions and support for local food producers.

Shona Alexander, the town’s regeneration director, said: “We worked closely with Ludlow in preparing our bid and we’re absolutely delighted and confident it will mean real jobs for real people in the town. “We’re famous for high-quality local produce, such as salmon, cheese and ice-cream, and we also have some excellent accommodation. We’ve got a lot of good things going on in Berwick and this is a way of bringing them together and to encourage people to visit us.”

The other UK towns with Cittaslow status are Aylsham and Diss in Norfolk, Ludlow in Shropshire, Mold in Wales and Perth in Scotland. For more information about Cittaslow, visit www.cittaslow.org.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .