A VILLAGE of small proportions has grown into a massive success and is now probably more famous that the town it resides in, according to the Mayor of Beaconsfield who used to visit as a child.

Bekonscot Model Village, in Warwick Road, Beaconsfield, celebrated 85 years of being open at the weekend with just under 1400 people walking through the famous gates on Saturday, August 9.

Mayor Steve Jones, who spoke at the event, paid tribute to the attraction’s global fame.

He said: “It’s a real pleasure to be here to take part in this celebration.

“Like some of you here, I was first taken here as a child, then we brought our children here and now my five-year-old grandchild comes here.”

He went on to joke that, with new buildings being added to the village all the time, Bekonscot was managing its planning issues better than the local authority these days, and then paid tribute to the attraction’s global fame.

He said: “When people ask where you live and you say ‘Beaconsfield’ they’re not sure - you say ‘Bekonscot’ and they say ‘yes, I’ve heard of that’.

“I think it’s a wonderful reflection on the history of this place that in many parts of the world you (Bekonscot) are probably more famous than our town.”

Special guests joined staff and people known to Bekonscot at St Michaels Church Hall, before they moved on to the village.

The Managing Director of the village, Brian Newman-Smith, said: “Saturday was a great day and a great celebration.

“We have just under 1400 people join us on the day and it was great to see the place so busy, with so many families and children enjoying themselves.

“It is always nice to have Bekonscot full of happy, laughing people.”

He added: “The reception too was really good, we had a few special guests join us and it was nice to remember the history and talk about the village.

“I do think that Bekonscot will continue to be a success for years to come as it is so different, children these days play on computers and watch TV, but they can only enjoy this sort of thing here.

“Hopefully we will have more celebrations to mark 90 years, 100 years and maybe even more.”