Sidmouth in Bloom wins gold at Britain in Bloom
Sidmouth in Bloom's Lynette Talbot and Sidmouth town councillor John Dyson receives the awartd from presenter Iolo Williams at the Britain in Bloom awards. Credit: Tony Mottram Group Name: SIDMOTH Category: Coastal up to 12k Award: Gold & O/ALL Winner Presented By: IOLO Williams Names: Lynette Talbot & John Dyson - Credit: Archant
Sidmouth in Bloom will battle it out for the highest honour to be named the champion of champions in the whole of the UK after winning gold at Britain in Bloom.
Peter Endersby,John Dyson and Lynette Talbot with their awards from Britain in Bloom. Ref shs 44 17TI 3064. Picture: Terry Ife - Credit: Archant
The group scooped the top prize and was named winner of the small coastal town category at an award ceremony in Llandudno last Friday.
The win has also landed Sidmouth a coveted spot in the champion of champions category, which is made up of the top entries selected by the judges.
Lynette Talbot, chairman of the group, said the group’s volunteers will need the help of residents to ‘up the ante’ ahead of next year’s inspection.
She said: “We went really to get a gold, and it is fantastic to be named the winner out of all the people who are in the category. For us it is a real achievement as we been involved for five years. It’s been a real climb.
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“This will, in addition to this year’s accolade, bring great prestige to the town – tourism, place to live, place carry out volunteering, bring up children and add to all the other desirable things that make up our Sidmouth’s heritage.
“It will bring a big challenge, not only to SIB, but to all who live and work in our town. To compete with all the UK entries of all sizes and be the best we must ‘up the ante’ in all things, horticulture, environmental care and community support.”
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Britain in Bloom judges Ian Beaney and Teresa Potter were full of compliments when they visited in August, praising Sidmouth for being a ‘vibrant town’ proud of its horticulture.
It follows the bloom’s success in the South West in Bloom competition, where it claimed another gold and the Sargent Cup.
Community projects including The Friends of the Byes, The Chairman’s Garden, Witheby Entrance Garden, Sidbashers and Sidcombers, The Ham garden restoring project, Margaret’s Meadow, Livonia Road Shubbery were all recognised in the It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme receiving either an outstanding or thriving rating.
Peter Endersby, of the group, added: “We need to get the whole town behind us.
“They need to be rooting for us in a practical way, it has to be the town’s campaign to get us to be the best town in the whole of Great Britain.”
The committee thanked volunteers and the district council’s Streetscene for their help this year.
