T-Rex in a garden, community heroes and vaccine celebrations: Here are 10 Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth stories from 2020 that will make you smile
OK, 2020 has been a terrible year - but there were also plenty of rays of hope. Let's end it with a smile.
By Philip Hibble
Published 24th Dec 2020, 11:04 BST
Updated 24th Dec 2020, 11:10 BST
Every year we put together a review of the year for Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth.
But things have been a bit different for everyone in 2020. So we thought it was best to reflect on the things that have made us smile.
Here's to a happy 2021!
Here's to a happy 2021!
5. Applause for the NHS
It became a Thursday night ritual during the first lockdown - neighbours across the district joined those across the country by clapping on their doorstep at 8pm to show their appreciation of the hard-working NHS staff.
It also turned into a chance for residents to say hello to each other and for streets to bond.
The sound of applause and show of solidarity certainly helped to lift the nation's mood, as people got more inventive with their displays.
One of the regular sites was the amazing artwork and videos on the side of the house in Redland Road, Leamington (pictured). Photo: Picture submitted
6. Leamington is a great place to live
Leamington is no stranger to the 'best places to live' lists that appear every year. And in a time when we needed a lift, it was good to see Leamington was named this year among the ten best places to live in the Midlands, according to The Sunday Times.
The newspaper's judges assess a wide range of factors, from schools, transport and broadband speed to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street to produce the guide.
Following on from that, in November, Leamington was named as one of the happiest places to live in the UK.
Property website Rightmove's 2020 survey placed the town in third place. Of course, Leamington is no stranger to being 'officially happy' - it topped the list back in 2017. Photo: Mike Baker
7. The Sister Act who have helped so many people
It has been an amazing year for two sisters from Kenilworth, who have won the hearts of their community for their selfless work during the pandemic.
Ciara and Seanna Hamill featured many times in the Courier and Weekly News over the months for providing essential PPE throughout the whole of the UK and Ireland, parts of Spain, France and even as far as Peru.
The young entrepreneurs set up SanHanzUK when they tried to source hand sanitiser to help their mum but discovered inflated prices and dubious products.
From the start the business was set up as a social enterprise with a mission to get PPE to the people who most needed it.
Sales have allowed them to give away over 5,000 pieces of PPE to frontline workers, mostly in Warwickshire.
They also work closely with food banks, which have themselves seen a surge in demand as the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic became apparent.
The sisters have won local awards and in November they were the youngest people in the UK to be named on a national 'roll of hon Photo: Picture submitted
8. Brightening up the mood
After the year we have had, we needed something to brighten up the mood - and many households took that message literally.
Hundreds of people decided to put up their Christmas light earlier than normal, with some amazing displays.
We decided to run a competition to find the best display and we are still getting entries coming in.
Well done to everyone who went that extra mile to brighten up the streets - and special praise to those who raised money for charities in the process.
Pictured here are the lights outside Kate Eales's house in Greville Smith Avenue,
Whitnash. Photo: Picture submitted