WE'RE almost there!In just over a week we will announce the winner of The Evening Star Suffolk Pub of the Year 2002.

By Nick Richards

By NICK RICHARDS

nick.richards@eveningstar.co.uk

WE'RE almost there!

In just over a week we will announce the winner of The Evening Star Suffolk Pub of the Year 2002.

The culmination of our six-month quest to find the best pub in the county draws to a close next Wednesday, December 18, with a glittering prize night.

Landlords from 27 pubs across the county will gather at the Odeon cinema in Ipswich to find out if their pub has scooped one of the awards.

There are twelve categories in the competition with six regional awards and six specific awards for different sections.

This is in addition to the overall award, which will enable one pub to be able to call itself Evening Star Suffolk Pub of the Year 2002.

Competition is fierce in all categories, especially in the category of Best Family Pub section.

Some of our judges with children wanted somewhere they were encouraged to take their children, while others wanted to enjoy a drink knowing the children could occupy themselves or be entertained by staff.

The north of the county is represented here by the Rushbrooke Arms at Sicklesmere which impressed our panel of judges with a children's play area area, ball pools and sweet counters.

Half of the Rushbrooke Arms is specifically designed for kids and another pub which welcomes families with open arms is The Farmhouse at Grange Farm.

At The Farmhouse, there is a duck pond and an aviary, which proved popular with children and provide a pleasant atmosphere for children.

The Swallow at Ransomes Europark in Ipswich also a bagged a place in the final of this category.

It has a whole range of activities such as face painting, balloon modelling and juggling especially laid on for the children and parents can even watch their children on closed-circuit television cameras.

n Find out first in the Evening Star who was won the award for Best Family Pub along with all the other award winners on Thursday December 19.