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RHS Britain in Bloom is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France (now Conseil national de villes et villages fleuris), which since 1959 has promoted the annual Concours des villes et villages fleuris.[1] It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) since 2002.

The competition is entered by the communities of towns, villages and cities. Different categories exist for various sizes of settlements. Groups are assessed for their achievements in three core pillars: Horticultural Excellence; Environmental Responsibility; and Community Participation.

Over 1,600 communities around the UK enter each year, participating in their local region's "in Bloom" campaign. From these regional competitions, roughly 80 communities are selected to enter the national Finals of RHS Britain in Bloom.[2]

It is a popular campaign, estimated to involve more than 200,000 volunteers in cleaning up and greening up their local area.[3]

Since 2002, the awards have been based on the Royal Horticultural Society's medal standards of Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver and Bronze;[4] the winner is the settlement judged to have most successfully met the rigorous judging criteria. Judging at the regional stage takes place around June/ July; judging for the national stage takes place in August. The results for the UK Finals are announced in September/ October. The competition covers the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Floral displays play an important part in the contest, but the "Bloom" title is now, perhaps, misleading: in recent years the competition has increasingly assessed how all sectors of the local community are managing their local environment.

In 2006, the RHS introduced the Neighbourhood Awards (now the It's Your Neighbourhood campaign), a grassroots sister campaign to Bloom, supporting smaller, volunteer-led community groups focused on improving their immediate environment.

History

[edit]

The history of the 'Bloom', as it is colloquially referred to,[5] began in 1963 when Roy Hay MBE, a horticultural journalist, went on holiday to France during the Fleurissement de France and was enthralled by seeing the country "filled to overflowing with flowers, shrubs and trees all in full bloom". His enquiries revealed that President de Gaulle had given orders to brighten up the country and the French Tourist Authority had set up the Fleurissement de France in 1959 (now called Concours des villes et villages fleuris). Hay was so impressed that he approached the British Tourist Authority (BTA), and he and Len Lickorish, then Director General of the BTA, set up a committee to run a British version, "Britain in Bloom". It was piloted by the British Tourist Authority in 1963 (Lewisham being part of that pilot[6]), and went national in 1964.

Many organisations were invited to help, including: The Automobile Association; London Tourist Board; National Farmers' Union; London Parks; Institute of Parks and Recreation Administration; National Association of Rural Communities; Royal Horticultural Society; Royal Automobile Club; The Tourist Boards of England, Scotland and Wales; The National Federation of Women's Institutes; Civic Trust; Keep Britain Tidy Group; the Flowers and Plants Council; The Horticultural Trades Association; The British Hotels and Restaurants Association; The Society of Town Clerks; Townswomen's Guild and British Airways. Despite this impressive list, Roy Hay later reflected that the initial reaction of the horticultural trade and local authorities was lukewarm.[5]

Nevertheless, regional committees were quickly formed, and in 1964 Bath became the first national winner. From 1964 to 1969 inclusive there was an overall national winner. From 1970, however, the competition was divided up into a range of categories, because of the difficulty of comparing settlements of different sizes fairly.[5]

The British Tourist Authority managed the competition until 1983 when the Government Department sponsoring the BTA felt that it should relinquish the responsibility. The Tidy Britain Group (the group responsible for the Keep Britain Tidy campaign, now known as EnCams) took over; it already had a long association with the competition. To mark the changeover, 1983 was celebrated as "Beautiful Britain in Bloom Year".[5] Sir Lawrie Barratt of Barratt Developments expressed his support to the Tidy Britain Group for the competition and provided sponsorship until 1989.

More categories and awards were added, in part reflecting a greater range of settlements, but also to recognise other elements of horticulture, including landscaping, and also to recognise the strenuous efforts to beautify the urban areas of the larger cities. McDonald's began sponsoring the competition from 1990, which led to focus on littering behaviour and the implementation of a Children's Painting Competition Calendar.[5] In 2001, the event was organised jointly by EnCams and the Royal Horticultural Society, and from November 2001 the RHS took full control as the organising body of Britain in Bloom.[7]

Year Organising Body Main Sponsor
1964 to 1982 British Tourist Authority No main sponsor
1983 to 1989 Tidy Britain Group Barratt Developments
1990 to TBC Tidy Britain Group McDonald's
2001 Tidy Britain Group & Royal Horticultural Society TBC
2002 to 2003 Royal Horticultural Society B&Q (from 2003)[8]
2004 to 2006 Royal Horticultural Society B&Q
2007 to 2009 Royal Horticultural Society Shredded Wheat
2011 to 2011 Royal Horticultural Society Anglian Windows
2012 - Royal Horticultural Society No main sponsor

In 2017, after winning Britain in Bloom Champion of Champions, Elswick admitted to having previously cheated in the competition three years earlier. The volunteers engaged a specialist company to design a display which came in ready assembled trays. [9]

Structure

[edit]
An emblem on the side of an Arriva bus, celebrating Horsham's 2007 victory in the Small City/Large Town category

The competition currently has twelve entry categories, most of which are determined by population size. Within each category, similarly sized communities compete across a spectrum of horticultural endeavour, community participation and environmental responsibility, which includes dealing with issues of litter, graffiti and vandalism.[7]

  • Category A
    • Small Village
    • Village
    • Large Village
  • Category B
    • Small Town
    • Town
    • Large Town
  • Category C
    • Small City
    • City
    • Large City
  • Category D
    • Urban Community
  • Category E
    • Small Coastal (electoral roll up to 12K)
    • Large Coastal (electoral roll over 12K)

Judging

[edit]

RHS Britain in Bloom encompasses 18 Regions/ Nations (12 English regions, as well as Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey).

Judging takes place over two years in two stages:

  1. Regional competition: Entries are first submitted by voluntary local 'Bloom' Committees, depending upon the area, to Local Authorities, Town or Parish Councils. These communities take part in their regional competition, for example South West in Bloom. The local volunteers are colloquially known as "bloomers".[10] Judging takes place in June/July, and winners are announced during local presentations between August and November.
  1. UK-wide: After the judging of the regional stage, Committees representing their nation/region select entrants for the second UK-wide stage. To ensure that effort is sustained over time, this second stage of judging takes place in August the year after they qualify. Winners of the UK judging are announced at a prestigious ceremony in September/October.[11]

National winners

[edit]

2020 to 2022

[edit]
KEY
Winner Known
Category Dormant
Category Not Created/No longer exists
Winner unknown/Not known if category exists
Year Champion of Champions[12] Large
City 		City Small
City 		Large
Town 		Town Small
Town 		Large
Village 		Village Small
Village 		Urban
Community 		Business
Improvement
District 		Coastal Resort
Coastal up to 12K Coastal over 12K
2022[13] Amersham Rochdale Dunstable Amersham Randalstown Cullybackey Cullybackey Community Partnership[13] Ulverston North Berwick
2021 Weymouth
2020

2010 to 2019

[edit]
Year Champion of Champions[12] Large
City 		City Small
City 		Large
Town 		Town Small
Town 		Large
Village 		Village Small
Village 		Urban
Community 		Business
Improvement
District 		Coastal Resort
Coastal up to 12K Coastal over 12K
2019 Perth Amersham Goring-on-Thames Green Moor Bath, Somerset & Canary Wharf Llandudno
2018 Truro Aberdeen Perth Royal Hillsborough Halesowen
2017 Elswick[14]
2016[15] Ahoghill Wigan Aberdeen Harrogate Coleraine Haddington Freckleton Hillsborough Castlecaulfield and Elswick, joint winners not awarded Kippax,
Leeds 		not awarded St Brelade, Jersey Southport
2015[16] Norton in Hales Birmingham Dundee Bury St Helier, Jersey Falmouth Ahoghill Coupar Angus Spofforth Wolfscastle Woodlesford London Bridge St Pierre du Bois, Guernsey Cleethorpes
2014 Shrewsbury Sunderland Oldham Bath Truro Shevington & District and Halstead, joint winners Dunnington Hillsborough Moorsholm and Norton in Hales, joint winners Bray Village Port Marine & Village Quarter (Portishead) Hunstanton St Peter Port
2013 Lytham Edinburgh London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Stockton-on-Tees,

joint winners

Shrewsbury Biddulph Morpeth Ahoghill Coupar Angus Pembridge Barton in Fabis and Scarva, joint winners Woolton (Liverpool) Aberdour Village and Dartmouth, joint winners Prestatyn
2012 Broughshane Birmingham Oldham Loughborough Belper Halstead Wimborne Market Bosworth Spofforth Stanghow Chirk (Wales) and Kippax (Leeds), joint winners Lytham and North Berwick Herne Bay
2011 Cricklade Bristol Stockton-on-Tees Derry Glenrothes Rustington St Martin, Guernsey Broughshane Luddenden Loughgall Uddingston Whitby Cleethorpes
2010 Falkland Sunderland Tameside Crawley Perth City of London Garstang Comrie Norton in Hales Stanghow and Wolfscastle Beighton, Sheffield North Berwick Scarborough, North Yorkshire

2000 to 2009

[edit]
Year Champion of Champions[12] Large
City 		City Small
City 		Large
Town 		Town Small
Town 		Small Country Town Large
Village 		Village Small
Village 		Urban
Regeneration 		Urban
Community 		Coastal Resort
Coastal up to 12K Coastal over 12K
2009 Falkland[17] London Borough of Croydon Stockton-on-Tees Harrogate Wisbech Thornbury[18][19] Pitlochry Broughshane, Northern Ireland Chipping, Lancashire Tarrington Village Birmingham City Centre St Brelade, Jersey Cleethorpes
2008[20] Nottingham Sheffield Solihull Taunton Perth Forres Cricklade Falkland, Scotland Earsdon Ravenfield Chapelfield, Norwich Clifton Village, Bristol Herm, Guernsey Exmouth
2007[21] Broughshane, Northern Ireland Nottingham, East Midlands Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham Horsham, South East England Bury St Edmunds, Anglia Oakham, East Midlands Grouville, Jersey Comrie, Scotland Darley, Yorkshire Nominations but No Winners St Philip's & St Paul's Floral Trail, Heart of England Uddingston, Scotland Cleethorpes, East Midlands
2006 Alness, Scotland No Nominations Aberdeen, Scotland Shrewsbury, Heart of England Perth, Scotland Brightlingsea, Anglia St Martin's Parish, Guernsey Broughshane, Northern Ireland Norton in Hales, Heart of England Ravenfield Seedley and Langworthy, North West England Starbeck, Yorkshire Scarborough, Yorkshire
2005 Cardiff Derry Newcastle-under-Lyme Durham Hexham Garstang Usk Heysham Bray St Philip's & St Paul's Floral Trail, Birmingham Spondon in Derby Sidmouth
2004 Stockport Derby Bath Perth Ilkley Alness Broughshane Appleton Wiske Sorn Coventry City Centre Dyce St Ives and Carbis Bay Bridlington
2003 Nottingham Cheltenham Harrogate Barnstaple Ledbury Pitlochry Darley Dale Drumnadrochit Un­known Un­known The Mumbles Filey Eastbourne
2002 Bournemouth Oxford Perth Bridgnorth Alness Garstang Broughshane Filby Un­known Un­known Blackley Herm Southport
2001 Nottingham Bath
Durham 		St. Helier, Jersey Dungannon Sidmouth Pitlochry Comrie Thorpe Salvin Un­known Un­known Port Sunlight Un­known Un­known
2000 Sunderland Un­known Perth Un­known Un­known Pateley Bridge & Bewerley Bampton[22][23] Beddgelert[24] Scarva Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known

1964 to 1999

[edit]

Details to 1990 from Graham Ashworth CBE, Britain in Bloom, The Tidy Britain Group (Wigan:1991)[25]

KEY
Winner Known
Category Dormant
Category Not Created/No longer exists
Winner unknown/Not known if category exists
Year Large
City 		City Small
City 		Large
Town 		Town Small
Town 		Small Country Town Large
Village 		Village Small
Village 		Urban
Regeneration 		Urban
Community 		Coastal Resort
Coastal up to 12K Coastal over 12K
1999 Un­known Un­known Un­known Barnstaple Forres Pitlochry Broughshane Beddgelert[24] Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
1998 Un­known Woking Perth Alcester Alness Waringstown Bampton[22][23] Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
1997 Nottingham Un­known Un­known Barnstaple Moira Un­known Broughshane Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
1996 Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Beddgelert[24] Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
1995 Un­known Bath Perth Barnstaple Un­known Un­known Un­known Beddgelert[24] Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
1994 Un­known Bath Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
1993 Un­known Un­known Perth Un­known Moira Un­known Broughshane &
Bampton[22][23] 		Beddgelert[24] Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
1992 Un­known Un­known Harrogate Un­known Un­known Un­known Saintfield Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
1991 Un­known Un­known Guildford Un­known Un­known Un­known Bampton[22][23] Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
1990 Westminster Bath Whickham Ilkley Moira Saintfield Catcott Walbottle
1989 Oxford Telford Falkirk Forres Bampton[22][23] St. Florence
1988 Cardiff Cheltenham Bury Kelso Market Bosworth Llandinam
1987 Aberdeen Douglas, Isle of Man Stratford upon Avon Lympstone Lund
1986 Shrewsbury Harrogate Forres Usk Sampford Courtenay
1985 Cheltenham Crewe &
Torquay 		Moira Lympstone Lund
1984 Bath Whickham Sidmouth Pateley Bridge with Bewerley Sampford Courtenay
1983 Swansea Harrogate Kelso Lympstone
1982 Middlesbrough Eastbourne Forres Lund
1981 Bath Harrogate Sidmouth Pateley Bridge with Bewerley &
St. John's Town of Dalry
1980 Exeter Douglas, Isle of Man Ryton Killingworth
1979 Aberdeen Harrogate Falmouth &
St Andrews 		Holywell Village,Northumberland.
1978 Bath Douglas, Isle of Man Sidmouth Aberdovey &
Carrington
1977 Aberdeen Harrogate Wolviston
1976 Bath Harrogate Bampton[22][23]
1975 Bath Sidmouth Clovelly
1974 Aberdeen &
City of London 		Shrewsbury Clovelly
1973 Aberdeen Bridlington &
Falmouth 		Ryton
1972 Bath and
Hartlepool 		Ayr Chagford
1971 Aberdeen Falmouth Abington
1970 Aberdeen Falmouth Abington
1969 Aberdeen
Overall National Winners
1968 Bath
Overall National Winners
1967 City of London
Overall National Winners
1966 Exeter &
Middlesbrough
Joint Overall National Winners
1965 Aberdeen
Overall National Winners
1964 Bath
Overall National Winners

Subsequent competitions

[edit]

From the winners and finalists of RHS Britain in Bloom, entries are picked to represent Britain in international competitions such as the Entente Florale.[26]

Discretionary awards

[edit]

(Definition Source) (Definition Source)

  • The Britain in Bloom Horticulture Award (from 2012) / previously The Britain in Bloom Floral Award / The Asmer Trophy: Presented to the finalist that demonstrates the best horticultural displays throughout the entry.
  • The Environment Award (from 2014) / previously The Sustainable Landscaping Award (from 2010) / previously The Permanent Landscaping Award / Beautiful Britain Award(from 1983)/Landscape Development Trophy(to 1983): Presented to the finalist that demonstrates innovative and high quality sustainable landscaping practices within their entry. (Sustainable landscaping referring to creating an attractive environment that is in balance with the local climate and requires minimal resource input.)
  • The Community Award (from 2002) : Presented to the finalist deemed to have best demonstrated that community involvement in their local "in Bloom" campaign is representative of all sectors of the community.
  • Community Champion Award / previously The Bob Hare Award(from 1980 to 1990) : Presented to individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment and dedication to the Britain in Bloom cause in their community.
  • Commercial Award / Gordon Ford Trophy: Presented to the finalist that demonstrates the best environmental and/or horticultural contribution from business / retail / corporate interests. Originally presented by Gordon Ford.
  • Pride of Place Award(from 2012) / previously Environmental Quality Award / Tidy Britain Group Trophy / Keep Britain Tidy Trophy / The Keep Britain Tidy Award: Presented to the finalist that best demonstrates duty and commitment to any one or more of the following: cleanliness, effective use of resources and maintenance of hard landscaping and street furniture.
  • Tourism Award: Presented to the finalist that demonstrates the most effective use of their local "in Bloom" initiatives as a means of encouraging and supporting tourism in their area.
  • Best Public Park Award: Given in Memory of David Welch. Presented to the park (including publicly run pay-on-entry parks and gardens) designed for horticultural excellence, giving delight to the visitor through appropriate planting, high standards of maintenance, including infrastructure, conserving wildlife, cleanliness and features of interest.
  • Conservation and Wildlife Award / previously The Going for Green Trophy: Presented to the finalist that best demonstrates commitment to sustainable development, including management of the flora and fauna in their local environment.
  • Outstanding Contribution / previously The Moran Memorial Award: Presented to an individual(s) that judges consider to have made outstanding efforts towards the success and promotion of Britain in Bloom.
  • No longer awarded: Best Inner City / Barratt Inner City Trophy: for the best effort in inner city areas
  • Young People's Award (from 2008) : Presented to the finalist deemed to involve young people from across the community in the best way.
  • School Award: Presented to the school within a finalist community that demonstrates the best commitment to on-going environmental and horticultural initiatives.
  • Environmental Responsibility(from 2012)  : Presented to the finalist that best demonstrated responsible management of resources within their entry.
  • RHS Britain in Bloom Heritage Award (from 2012) / previously Local Roots Award :Presented to the finalist that best demonstrated outstanding commitment to the ongoing care and development of their local heritage.

1971 to 1999

[edit]
Year
1971 
 ​
1972 
 ​
1973 
 ​
1974 
 ​
1975 
 ​
1976 
 ​
1977 
 ​
1978 
 ​
1979 
 ​
1980 
 ​
1981 
 ​
1982 
 ​
1983 
 ​
1984 
 ​
1985 
 ​
1986 
 ​
1987 
 ​
1988 
 ​
1989 
 ​
1990 
 ​
1992 
 ​
1996 
 ​
1999 
 
Horticulture Environment Community Commercial Pride of Place Tourism Best Public Park Conservation and Wildlife Outstanding Contribution Best Inner City Young People Heritage
Bath  
 
Bath  
 
Bath Bridlington  
 
Bath Clovelly  
 
City of London London Borough of Camden  
 
Bath Wolviston Mr C B Preece
West Country in Bloom		  
 
Bath Exeter Mr P Conn
Ex Parks Director, City of Liverpool		  
 
Swansea Holywell Dr D W Huebner
Chairman Yorkshire and Humberside in Bloom		  
 
Belfast York Douglas Mr B Wolley
Chairman Northumberland in Bloom		  
 
Paisley Belfast Sidmouth Forres  
 
Stockport Strathclyde Bath Largs Mr H Parker
Assistant Director of Environment (Parks) Swansea City Council		  
 
Swansea Kirkcaldy Harold Peirce, Arthur Allen, Brian Pattenden, Nigel Rogers - Eastbourne Parks Dept Stratford upon Avon Stratford upon Avon (posthumous)
Bob Hare		  
 
Ryton Aberdeen Tevrnspite, Dyfed Sidmouth Cheltenham David Welch
Director of Leisure and Recreation, Aberdeen		  
 
Cheltenham Forres St. David's Centre, Cardiff Nantwich East Sleekburn George Dick
Village orderly of Ballinamallard		  
 
Douglas Crewe Tom Dobbins, Babbacombe Model Village, Devon Torquay Market Bosworth Dr W Dally
Edzell		  
 
Shrewsbury Belfast Walter Dinning, Parks Department, Gateshead Nantwich Sorn Leonard Likorish
former Director General of the British Tourist Authority		  
 
Bath Crewe The Japanese Garden, Aberdeen Stratford upon Avon Bury St Edmunds Jim Woods
Killyleagh		  
 
Bury St Edmunds Plymouth Moffat Gorey, Jersey Exeter Lewis McAvoy
Chief Technical Officer Lisburn Borough Council		 Oxford  
 
Morpeth Telford Saintfield in Bloom Committee Bournemouth Moira Muriel Preece
Organiser of West Country in Bloom		 Leeds  
 
Southport Swansea Guildford J Sainsbury plc Nuneaton and Bedworth Keswick
[27][better source needed]		 George Tomlinson
Crewe		 Plymouth  
 
Bath  
 
Nottingham  
 
Nottingham, Hyson Green  
 

2000 to 2009

[edit]
Year
2000​
2001​
2002​
2003​
2004​
2005​
2006​
2007​
2008​
2009
Horticulture Environment Community Commercial Pride of Place Tourism Best Public Park Conservation and Wildlife Outstanding Contribution Best Inner City Young People Heritage
Portsmouth
Bath St. Helier - Harbour Approach KeyMed, Southend on Sea Newcastle upon Tyne Lynton & Lynmouth The Crichton Dumfries Tatsfield Pupils and teachers at Applegrove Primary School, Forres Leeds
Stafford Oxford - Arlington Business Park Saltburn by the Sea Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland Newcastle-under-Lyme - Meadows Residents Association Drumnadrochit & Brighton and Hove Johnston Park Aberdeen London Borough of Bromley Carolyn Wilson, Alness
Falkland Guildford Coleraine Normanton Aberdeen Barnstaple Botanic Gardens Bath Bury St. Edmunds Malcolm Wood, Nottingham
Perth Sheffield - Peace Garden Seedley and Langworthy (Salford) Bracknell Flowers, Bracknell Market Bosworth Falkland Jephson Gardens Royal Leamington Spa Tilgate Centre, Crawley Doug Stacey Sheffield and Market Harborough
Nottingham North Berwick The Friends of Norwich in Bloom Fareham Memorial Gardens Manchester City Centre Hexham University Park Nottingham Rottingdean Jeanette Warke, Londonderry
Shrewsbury St. Helier - Waterfront Falkland Taylors of Harrogate, Starbeck Norton in Hales Scarborough Greyfriars Green Coventry Durlston Country Park, Swanage Clifford Prout, Old Colwyn
Grouville Bury St. Edmunds and Abbots Green School Nottingham White Rose shopping centre, Beeston Duffus and North Berwick Cleethorpes Mount Edgcumbe Park Plymouth Cardiff Bay Christel MacIntosh, Alness
Perth Sheffield Cricklade Ocean Road, South Shields Sheffield Douglas, Isle of Man Ravelin Park Southsea North Meadow, Cricklade Terry Bane Applegrove School, Forres
Rustington Bangor - Bangor Walled Garden Earsdon St. Brelade's Bay Hotel St Andrew's, Scotland Chipping, Lancashire Harrogate - Valley Gardens Farthing Downs and New Hill, London Borough of Croydon Vic Verrier Falkland Eston, North Yorkshire and Plymouth

2010 to 2016

[edit]
Year
2010​
2011​
2012​
2013​
2014
Horticulture Environment Community Commercial Pride of Place Tourism Best Public Park Conservation and Wildlife Outstanding Contribution Young People School Heritage Environmental Responsibility
Coleraine City of London Crawley Beighton, Sheffield Tameside Harrogate Bristol Zoo Solihull Ken Powles and Susan Smith Douglas, Isle of Man Portchester Northern Community School, Fareham Halstead
Bury University of Edinburgh - Pollock Campus Chirk (Wrexham) Graythwaite Manor Hotel, Grange over Sands Derry City, Ulster Tenby, Wales Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh Avon Gorge & Downs, Bristol Jim Knight Wee FIBbees, Forres, Scotland Spring Common School, Moor (Huntingdon)
Birmingham St Helier, Jersey Loughborough Hendra Caravan Park, Newquay Oldham Joint winners: Herm, Guernsey; and Great Yarmouth Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham Kippax (Leeds) John Woodward and Clive Addison Joint winners: St George's Crypt, Leeds; and Stone, Staffordshire St Bede's Catholic High School, Lytham Chirk (Wrexham) Thornbury Community Composting Site, Thornbury
Glenrothes Diamond Jubilee Gardens, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Biddulph, Coupar Angus, Edinburgh, Hunmanby, Prestatyn, Stanghow and Starbeck Sanderson Arcade and Bus Station, Morpeth Stockton-on-Tees Bournemouth The Dingle, Shrewsbury Saint Brélade Alan Heath, Cumbria, Maurice Baren, Yorkshire and Patsy Clark MBE, Northumbria Dartmouth, Morpeth and Prestatyn Oakley School, Tunbridge Wells Eston (Middlesbrough) Bury
Oldham London Bridge Truro Stockley Park, Hillingdon Port Marine & Village Quarter (Portishead) Shrewsbury Roundhay Park, Leeds Tresco Walter Dinning and Mark Wasilewski MVO Immingham Joint winners: St Mary's School, Dalton with Newton, and Edith Cavell Academy and Nursery School, Norwich Pitlochry

Regions

[edit]

There are 18 Regions/ Nations "in Bloom", each of which coordinate regional campaigns in their area. The regions of the UK and Crown dependencies used in the competition are (with reference to ceremonial counties and government office regions):

Country or Region within the U.K. Region Name Notes
England Anglia (East of England region) Anglia in Bloom
England Cumbria Cumbria in Bloom
England East Midlands (as region) East Midlands in Bloom
England Heart of England Heart of England in Bloom Heart of England includes Gloucestershire (minus South Gloucestershire), Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, and Worcestershire
England London London in Bloom
England Northumbria (as North East England) Northumbria in Bloom
England North West England North West in Bloom (as region, less Cumbria)
England South East England South & South East in Bloom (East Sussex, Kent, West Sussex, Surrey)
England South West England Southwest in Bloom (Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, western Dorset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire)
England Southern England South & South East in Bloom (eastern Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, southern Wiltshire)
England Thames and Chilterns Thames & Chilterns in Bloom (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire)
England Yorkshire Yorkshire in Bloom
Northern Ireland Ulster (Northern Ireland) Ulster in Bloom (Competition does not include all of Ulster; only includes Northern Ireland)
Scotland Scotland Beautiful Scotland
Wales Wales Wales in Bloom
Isle of Man Isle of Man Isle of Man in Bloom Campaign is temporarily suspended (2011)
Guernsey Guernsey Floral Guernsey
Jersey Jersey Jersey in Bloom

RHS It's Your Neighbourhood

[edit]

RHS It's Your Neighbourhood[28] is part of the wider RHS Britain in Bloom initiative, helping volunteer-led groups to improve their local area. Any group can take part, as long as it is volunteer-led and involved in hands-on community gardening. It should also be working with the community for the benefit of the community. Participating groups care for all sorts of spaces - from local parks and gardens, to odd grot-spots which have been transformed and shared residential spaces or alleyways.

The campaign was launched by the RHS in 2006 to support grassroots community gardening and there are currently more than 1,300 registered groups. (2012)

The initiative works around the same three pillars of assessment as RHS Britain in Bloom: Community Participation, Gardening Achievement and Environmental Responsibility; however, it is not a competitive campaign. Participating groups receive an annual visit from an It's Your Neighbourhood assessor, who provides feedback and tips for how to develop projects, and each group receives a certificate of achievement from the RHS.

It's Your Neighbourhood is free to enter and open to groups of all sizes.

Source of civic pride

[edit]
Guildford welcome sign displaying Britain in Bloom credentials

Winning a category within Britain in Bloom at a national or even regional level has proved to be a source of considerable civic pride for the towns, cities and villages involved. Many of the authorities of the winning locations do advertise their achievements on signs within, or more predominantly on the outskirts of their settlement. One journalist stated that "Since Britain In Bloom began in 1963 … nothing has pleased town councillors more than to hammer up a sign at the outskirts of their kingdom trumpeting superiority to incoming visitors… Few events provide a sterner test of civic pride."[10] Examples include Garstang where the sign that leads to the high street at the heart of the town says, above the name "Garstang", Britain In Bloom Small Town – Gold Award Winners 2002, 2005, and "Invitation Finalists to Champion of Champions 2006",[10] or Guildford, which advertises its past triumph in the Town category on its welcome signs.

Further reading

[edit]

References and notes

[edit]
  1. ^ "Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - About In Bloom". Archived from the original on 6 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Supporting communities improving their environment through gardening". rhs.
  3. ^ "RHS Britain in Bloom campaign statistics". Archived from the original on 8 August 2011.
  4. ^ The Garden (Journal of The Royal Horticultural Society), October 2002, p752
  5. ^ a b c d e Graham Ashworth CBE, Britain in Bloom, pages 7 & 8, The Tidy Britain Group (Wigan:1991)
  6. ^ "Lewisham in Bloom heroes pick up awards". Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Woolton in Bloom". Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  8. ^ The Garden (Journal of The Royal Horticultural Society), April 2003, p233
  9. ^ Ward, Victoria (28 October 2017). "Britain in Bloom winning Lancashire village claims it once 'cheated' by getting ready made displays delivered". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "archive.ph". archive.ph. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007.
  11. ^ "Britain in Bloom / RHS Gardening". www.rhs.org.uk.
  12. ^ a b c From Bloom Review, Issue 8, Spring 2006[permanent dead link]: Champion of Champions - This is a category within the RHS Britain in Bloom UK Finals where selected communities, of all population sizes, who have demonstrated sustained high standards in the Bloom campaign, are invited to compete for the title of ‘Champion of Champions’. These entries are judged against the Bloom criteria relevant to their population, and then compared to determine the overall winner.
  13. ^ a b "Britain in Bloom awards and results". Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  14. ^ Finalists 2017 rhs.org.uk
  15. ^ "RHS Britain in Bloom 2016 UK Finals Full Results". Britain in Bloom. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  16. ^ "RHS Britain in Bloom 2015 UK Finals Full Results". Britain in Bloom. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  17. ^ "Britain in Bloom winners announced". Archived from the original on 26 December 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  18. ^ "Thornbury in Bloom". Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  19. ^ "Thornbury bags gold for blooms". BBC News. 24 September 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  20. ^ "RHS Britain in Bloom Awards Winners 2008". Archived from the original on 9 September 2010.
  21. ^ "RHS Britain in Bloom Awards Winners 2007". Archived from the original on 19 February 2009.
  22. ^ a b c d e f "Welcome to Bamton, Devon". Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  23. ^ a b c d e f "Bampton in Bloom achievements". Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  24. ^ a b c d e "Beddgelert village". Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  25. ^ Graham Ashworth CBE, Britain in Bloom, The Tidy Britain Group (Wigan:1991)
  26. ^ The Entente Florale itself has taken different forms, such as the "ENTENTE FLORALE – Ten Nations Competition" and the "ENTENTE FLORALE – Britain - France - Belgium Competition"
  27. ^ "About us". Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  28. ^ "RHS It's Your Neighbourhood". RHS Gardening.
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