Archive for the ‘Competitions’ Category

Blooming report

October 25, 2015

Over thirty members of the Trust attended the recent Open Meeting, at which a report was given about the Trust’s entry in Northumbria in Bloom this year.

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Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in our bid for ‘Gold’, being just 4 marks [out of 200] short of attaining the top award in the competition, but we managed to achieve our highest score ever and another ‘Silver Gilt’, for the third consecutive year.

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Disappointed that the extra improvements and  volunteer effort this year had only resulted in achieving another ‘Silver Gilt’, it was announced that the ‘Blooming’ committee had decided not to enter the competition in 2016.  It was emphasised, though, that the high standard of planting in the tubs, baskets, troughs and sustainable beds throughout the conservation area would be continued by volunteers next year, but without the extra work behind the scenes needed to impress judges. Hopefully the local businesses will continue with their own floral displays too, to keep Sholey Bridge ‘Blooming’.

The slideshow presentation given at the meeting was taken from the photographs in the Portfolio, which had been presented to the judges when they visited in July …

Calendar competition

September 1, 2015

Just a reminder about the photo competition for our 2017 calendar. The flowers in the village are looking lovely at present and with the good weather forecast for the week ahead it is an opportune time for getting your cameras out and going for a walk.

Calendar competition

Tubs planted

June 7, 2015

Sixteen Trust volunteers helped on Saturday morning to make a start on planting 44 tubs with summer bedding and 6 with sustainable perennials.  Two new double tiered oak barrel planters have been purchased with a grant from local councillors, which have also been filled with colourful geraniums, surfinia [petunia] and lobelia.

The Council will be planting the Trust’s barrier baskets which volunteers will continue to maintain.

More plants have also been donated and purchased for the sustainable beds, which the Trust plants and maintains, on behalf of the Council.

Blooming ready

June 4, 2015

The Trust has started preparations for the Northumbria in Bloom summer judging in 7 weeks time.  The  judges will be visiting on the morning of 20 July.

50 tubs have been emptied and topped up with compost ready for planting up with summer bedding, by volunteers on Saturday morning and weeds near them have been sprayed. As an experiment, 6 of the tubs are being planted with sustainable plants that will not need to be removed twice a year.  Although £100 has been allocated for this, it should save money in the long term. The Trust spends up to £500 a year on summer bedding and a similar amount on winter bedding and bulbs, as residents tell us that they prefer colourful displays. The bulbs are replanted in open spaces in the autumn.

Keeping the area free of leaves, road grit, dog dirt and litter are important judging criteria.  Please help our volunteers by putting dog pooh bags and litter in the bins provided. Cigarette ends are a particular problem in the village centre, particularly outside pubs and restaurants, even though businesses provide outside bins for their customers.

Many smokers do not realise that throwing away a cigarette end is a littering offence. The County Council’s Neighbourhood Wardens are issuing fines to people doing this in a public place, as it is an offence, under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Anyone dropping litter can be issued with a fixed penalty notice of £80. Thirteen people who did not pay their fines for dropping cigarette ends in County Durham were taken to Court yesterday.

More information about your local Neighbourhood Warden Team is available on the County Council website.

Business Awards

October 30, 2014

Three businesses were presented with certificates and Beveridge’s vouchers today, for the quality of their hanging baskets this summer.

The Trust organised the competition as part of the village’s Northumbria in Bloom entry.  Congratulations to …

Eve FashionsWinner of the Golden Basket award

Moon Jewellery – Winner of the Hanging Basket award

Sale Pepe – Runner Up of the Hanging Basket award

[Click on images to enlarge.]