South set for 'blooming' success
Towns and villages across the south of the country are gearing up for this year's
South & South East in Bloom competition, and with the current state of the economy persuading more people to holiday in the UK, standards are expected to be even higher than usual.
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The seaside village of Rustington in West Sussex won
Best Public Display in 2008. Judge Stuart Lees (centre)
enjoys the flowers with Mike Warrington, chairman of
the Parish Council (left) and chairman of Rustington
in Bloom, Fred Spanton
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Up to five million more UK-based holidays are expected to be taken this year compared to 2008, so the chairman of the annual regional campaign, Peter Holman, is expecting a greater intensity to this year's competition.
'There are numerous towns and villages across the South and South East that will be welcoming visitors from other parts of the UK this summer, and our competition gives them the perfect opportunity to raise their standards and show why people should choose them over a rival,' he says.
The competition is sponsored by Southern Water, which has invested millions of pounds in improving the quality of bathing water in recent years. Across the region of Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, 99% of beaches passed the Bathing Water Directive standards in 2008. This compares with just 41% of beaches meeting the same standard in 1998.
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Ferring, West Sussex, won Silver Gilt in the Small Town
category 2008. The Ferring in Bloom team celebrate
with judges Brian Stephens (left) and Reg Harrison,
watering cans in hand
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South & South East in Bloom will see communities taking part in all manner of activities to improve the look of their local environment, including public parks, gardens and floral displays, and creating wildlife habitats and conservation areas. The overall aim is to increase civic pride and co-operation between neighbours, and to boost the local economy through increased business and tourism. For two weeks in early July the judges will descend on the communities to decide who will be the winners within a number of categories.
The winners could then stand the chance to be entered into
Britain in Bloom - Europe's largest horticultural campaign organised by the RHS - where they would be recognised for their sustained excellence. Together, the Bloom competitions and their participants promote the benefits of a sustainable environment and show how gardening can be a healthy and beneficial pastime for everyone.
