Helena Cook and Lynne Midwinter made the trip down to Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, to find out if IET had won the national Action Market Town award.

Todmorden's self-sufficiency group had been selected as regional winners to represent Yorkshire and Humberside in July at an event in Thirsk. Faringdon near Oxford won the national award for an Ecoweek held in June.

"We were disappointed not to win but it was good to see someone with such a similar project to ours win the award. Their project was for a week so was on the same basis as Hebden Bridge's green weekend event," said Helena.

"Lynne and I did win the food quiz though so we are coming home with a food hamper each full of all the local produce of Melton Mowbray.

"Now we are concentrating all our energies on the conference on November 14.

"We've been spreading the word and even more people are interested in coming to Todmorden to see what we do."

Anyone wishing to come to the conference need to book their place online soon as places are limited.