BLOOMING MARVELLOUS

Britain in Bloom is the UK’s longest running gardening competition started in 1963. We chat to our local towns’ members about it

OUR AREA FORMS part of East Midlands in Bloom, one of 18 regions that comprise Britain in Bloom. The aim of the competition is to encourage the improvement of a town’s surroundings through the imaginative use of trees, shrubs, flowers and landscaping along with a litter free and sustainable environment. This links directly to the three RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) core pillars of excellence which are horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation.

Each group has their own way of doing things; some meet on a set day, others gather when there’s a job to be done. Either way, it entails hard work, dedication but most of all a passion for gardening.

Stamford in Bloom

Back in 2017 local resident Ann Ellis was of the opinion that despite being a beautiful town, Stamford was, in fact, a bit of a mess. When she mentioned this to the Town Hall sta she was invited to a council meeting that very evening and the ball rolled from there. The Stamford in Bloom group was formed. At the time the RHS was running a campaign to ‘green Great Britain’ and that’s what Ann wanted to do in Stamford; focus on greening the town, soften the edges and o er more plants for the bees. Municipal style planting wasn’t her style at all.

Ann soon joined forces with Neil McIvor of Team Stamford (who we wrote about in the March issue). The council came on board and entered the newly formed group into the 2018 Towns in Bloom competition. The Rotary Club, Round Table, Ladies Circle, Mindspace, The Civic Society and many more groups became involved. As Ann says, ‘it’s not the actual competition that counts. It’s the town itself and the people we work with who are important.’

Now there are around 50 locations that the group plant and maintain including flower beds, planters and two bicycles, one outside The George, the other by St John’s church. These areas are planted with winter bulbs then replenished with plants for the summer.

Anyone walking through the town can’t fail to notice the dining chairs - currently 36 of them - beautifully planted up by the team and placed outside the doors of the businesses that sponsor them. Each chair will have been purchased at auction, stripped back, painted or varnished, lined then planted. And we mustn’t forget the watering. It’s a huge operation carried out by the volunteers, unfortunately without the help of a trailer as there are so many steps to navigate around the town.

There are around 30 volunteers with no more than six working at one time in an area. ‘We can do a lot of work with six of us in two hours,’ Ann says, ‘particularly with help from the young sta from local company lltech who come to us for a couple of hours during the day when we ask for help.’ Many businesses sponsor the group or give donations, as do many local residents.

It’s an intense time for the team at this time of year; during the winter things slow down a little. But there are always jobs to be done. People are very generous with their time doing the PR, asking for donations and sponsorship, creating an illustrated map for the judges to follow, as well as lugging compost around and obviously doing the actual planting and weeding. Ann and a number of volunteers no longer have gardens of their own, so relish the opportunity to garden for the benefit of the town. t’s also a great way to make friends and be sociable. ‘People stop us all the time to thank us or comment on the flowers, it’s very rewarding.’

Market Harborough in Bloom

usan Clow, communications officer from Market Harborough in loom explains what their team get up to. Market Harborough in loom was set up in 1 with 20 hanging baskets. We’ve entered East Midlands in loom every year since then, achieving a gold award 11 times and been picked to enter ritain in loom twice. We are usually well represented in judges awards too, having won Least Littered Town, had a special award for our uni ue blooming branded phone box, a wildflower award and many park awards. The competition itself has evolved over the years and currently is more focused on community and sustainability which is already at the heart of the group. The group, now a band of about 20 regulars, meets on Monday and Wednesday mornings throughout the year. Even in the depths of winter there is work to do although it does calm down to a less frenetic pace. ur H is in Welland ark and we are responsible for a large greenhouse and polytunnel. t is here we start our days, moving o to the rose garden, the town centre or one of our many planting locations. We started gardening at t Luke’s Hospital during the pandemic and now work there on alternate aturday mornings. We have always had a presence at the railway station and canal basin too. We created an arboretum in the park that needs tending. The park’s rose garden is the jewel in our crown. ne judge told us it was probably the best public rose garden in the country. ften a challenge and very labour intensive, it involves us hand edging 1,000 metres of the 0 plus rose beds and the care of an extensive knot garden, lavender and herb gardens. This year we are planning a special latinum themed bed behind our ld Grammar chool using dramatic silver foliage. f course, the whole community plays a part in all this. The judges, who come in uly are always impressed with the support we have built up over the years. We work with the council and its contractors, local businesses (who sponsor planters), litter picking groups, schools and leisure groups. This year we will be wearing our second set of sponsored T shirts which always gives everyone a boost. We have benefitted from some generous donations too. We visit an allotment site with the judges, and the allotment holders always go that extra mile. We support each other in all sorts of ways especially as a third of our volunteers are allotment holders too. Gluttons for punishment!

We use acebook to tell people what we are doing and are very happy with the very positive support from the community that follows us.’

Oakham in Bloom

oyce Lucas, co founder of akham in loom ( i ) told us The n loom project is not just about gardening and winning a competition but includes active civic pride campaigns, litter picking, cleaning of roadside signs, pavement weed control, education, fund raising, awareness campaigns, social events and much, much more.’ t all began in 1 when oyce and her husband ob asked for volunteers to assemble at the end of Lonsdale Way, akham to plant spring bulbs. The idea was to brighten up the wide grass verge in raunston Road. ers subse uently flooded in of bulbs to plant and people to plant them.

Then they came up with the idea of pen Gardens, starting with two gardens. The next year it was eight and the following year 1 home owners in akham opened their gardens to the public. nitary tatus for Rutland became a reality in 1 and that’s the time when akham n loom ( i ) was formed, then blossomed.

Their first project was to clear the listed walls at the rear of the library of all the ivy, and the whole area of weeds. Later they added a sensory garden. mongst the many volunteers that came forward, inmates at shwell prison o ered to grow plants in their greenhouses. akham Town Council entered into the spirit and organised hanging baskets and wall mangers to add colour to the town. Later the i volunteers took over the management of the flower beds around the bandstand in the park and then adopted the traffic islands on the bypass.

The ancient Catmose rboretum was given a new lease of life after a plea was sent out for extra trees. luebells, cowslips and primroses were added and then the final touch was to number the trees and print a leaflet guide. Walks through the town on undays bring in funds and encourage people to become gardeners. und raising is a vital part of the group’s commitment to the town. ponsored walks, garage sales and cake bakes became the norm. The i lottery was introduced and is still a vital part of fund raising. n une 201 the nner Wheel icycle ed, as it is a ectionally known, was created at the entrance to the town on ppingham Road. The Lands’ End flower bed was also created. n une 2010 a woven willow replica of a pitfire was donated to the town to commemorate the 0th nniversary of the attle of ritain. They’ve recently ac uired a greenhouse and potting shed with a donation from Tesco which enables i to teach beginners how to produce new plants from cuttings. n 201 the group called Men in heds was approached to make wheelbarrows which are dotted around the town and used as planters.

The akham Da odil Trail was created with ,000 da odil bulbs and a trail booklet launched by the Rutland Lord Lieutenant in ebruary 2022. The Rotary Club of Rutland donated ,000 purple crocus bulbs to help raise awareness of the campaign to eradicate polio worldwide which were planted at the entrance to the library. akham in loom is a year round project with working parties and social events and they have a good relationship with the whole community and the two local authorities.

Uppingham in Bloom

Uppingham in Bloom was founded in 1983 by three shopkeepers, Pam Dalby tells us, who wanted to add much needed colour to the town. They entered the East Midlands in Bloom competition and so started a yearly tradition amongst a dedicated band of volunteers.

Over the last 39 years they’ve achieved winning entries for the Best Small Town in the East Midlands and recently Gold year on year, which is extremely hard to maintain. The pinnacle has been their accolade as the Best Small Town in Britain in the National competition in 2015.

The volunteers are supported by Uppingham School gardens’ department who source plants, help with planting and colour schemes to blend in with the school’s planting.

A sensory garden on Tod’s Piece, which was an old Tarmac area, has continued to grow and evolve over the last 10 years providing a green haven for locals to enjoy. Various planting beds around the town give colour and form all year round. Planters provide statement spring planting with tulips giving the wow factor annually. Summer planting then provides colour through to October, when the winter planting is added.

Uppingham in Bloom developed a tree trail and tree quiz for children to give the whole community an appreciation of their wonderful trees and heritage. Doug Stacey, a longstanding member of the Bloom committee researched the trees and the route allowing those following the trail fabulous glimpses of the town they wouldn’t ordinarily see.

A community garden on the Leicester road allotments provides a quiet spot to rest and to pick produce to take home. A swap table for allotment holders to leave excess produce has fed locals with fresh vegetables for years and was well used during the pandemic.

Tree planting has been a huge part of the group’s work over the last few years and more so this year to coincide with the Queen’s Green Canopy. Tod’s Piece is the main focus of new planting with the support of Uppingham Town Council who own the park.

Uppingham in Bloom work with other voluntary groups and schools in the town such as the Rotary, Women’s Institute, scouts and primary schools. A big part of their work is raising funds to pay for the year round planting, maintenance, projects, printing costs and watering; around £4,500 is needed each year. The small band of volunteers organise a winter warmer lunch yearly serving up to 90 covers for lunch along with a Tombola. There are also regular Open Garden events, and a Ball and barn dance in recent years.

As Pam says: ‘Sponsorship and support from local businesses is paramount to our ability to produce such stunning displays in Uppingham. Without their help we would not be able to do what we do for the community to enjoy. Huge thanks to Uppingham Town Council for their grant funding and to Uppingham School gardens’ department for all their physical help.’

THE CASTLE INN

Grantham CAMRA Country Pub of the Year 2022

The Castle Inn is a beautiful country pub, centrally located in the picturesque village of Castle Bytham.

Opening Times

Mon: 5pm – 9pm Tues & Weds: 12pm –9pm Thurs –Sat: 12pm – 12am Sunday: 12pm –9pm The Castle’s Traditional Sunday Lunch is served 12pm –3pm. Light lunches and drinks served 12pm –2pm Tuesday to Saturday in The Bar or Taverna.

Evening meals served Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm until 9pm.

Walkers Welcome!

Start your walk at The Castle and pre-order lunch for your return!

We host a range of events throughout the year including live bands, quiz nights and much more… follow us on Facebook for more info!

High Street, Castle Bytham, NG33 4RZ Tel: 01780 411223

GREAT PLANTS, GREAT CHOICE & GREAT VALUE

Barnwell Road, Oundle PE8 5PB | www.thebarngardencentre.co.uk

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MULTI-ACTIVITY HOLIDAYS FOR CHILDREN AGED 4-14MULTI-ACTIVITY HOLIDAYS FOR CHILDREN AGED 4-14

Our OFSTED registered Camps, which have been running in the area for over 25 years, offer a wide range of over 30 fun activities to keep your child entertained in the holidays.Our OFSTED registered Camps, which have been running in the area for over 25 years, Our OFSTED registered Camps, which have been running in the area for over 25 years, ofer a wide range of over 30 fun actvites to keep your child entertained in the holidays. Some of the activities that we offer include bouncy castles, arts and crafts, sports, food making, crossbows, orienteering, computer games and quad biking. offer a wide range of over 30 fun activities to keep your child entertained in the holidays. Some of the actvites that we ofer include bouncy castles, arts and crafs, sports, food making, crossbows, orienteering, computer games and den building. All staff are DBS checked and have the necessary experience and training to deliver the wide range of activities we offer. We pride ourselves on the quality of our childcare Some of the activities that we offer include bouncy castles, arts and crafts, sports, All staf are DBS checked and have the necessary experience and training to deliver the wide range of actvites we ofer. We pride ourselves on the quality of our childcare and our excellent staf ratos. and our excellent staff ratios.food making, crossbows, orienteering, computer games and quad biking. REST ASSURED -WE WILL BE FOLLOWING GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE TO ENABLE US TO DELIVER MAXIMUM FUN IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT We accept payment by childcare vouchers. All staff are DBS checked and have the necessary experience and training to deliver the wide range of activities we offer. We pride ourselves on the quality of our childcare and our excellent staff ratios. We accept payment by childcare vouchers.

Peterborough THE PETERBOROUGH SCHOOL

Stamford STAMFORD JUNIOR SCHOOL

Oakham BROOKE PRIORY SCHOOL

Easter Camps Easter Camps Summer Camps

8th -12th April 8th -12th April 22nd -26th July 15th -18th April (4 day) 15th -18th April (4 day) 29th July-2nd August

May Half-Term Camp 28th -31st May (4 day)Peterborough Summer Camps 15th -19th July THE PETER Summer CampsBOROUGH 22nd -26th July

8th -12th July 15th -19th July SCHOOL 29th July-2nd A 5th -9th August ugust 22nd -26th July 12th -16th August 29th July-2nd August 19th -23rd August 5th -9th August 12th -16th August 9.30 am – 4.30 pm (early and late care available) CAMP COST - £165 We accept payment by childcare vouchers Tel. 01572 868 304 Email: info@churchillsummercamps.co.uk www.churchillsummercamps.co.uk

Stamford STAMFORD JUNIOR SCHOOL

Peterborough THE PETERBOROUGH SCHOOL

Oakham BROOKE PRIORY SCHOOL

Easter Camps Easter Camps Summer Camps

8th -12th April 8th -12th April 22nd -26th July 15th -18th April (4 day) 15th -18th Tel. 01572 868 304 April (4 day) 29th July-2nd August

May Half-Term Camp Summer Camps Email: info@churchillsummercamps.co.uk 28th -31st May (4 day) 15th -19th July Summer Camps 22nd -26th July www.churchillsummercamps.co.uk

8th -12th July 29th July-2nd August 15th -19th July 5th -9th August 22nd -26th July 12th -16th August

Stamford STAMFORD JUNIOR SCHOOL

May/June 2022 Camp 30th May-1st June (3-day camp)

11th-15th July

Summer 2022 Camps 18th-22nd July

25th-29th July 1st-5th August 9.30 am – 4.30 pm (early and late care available)

Cost: £172 per week

Summer 2022 Camps

8th-12th August 15th-19th August 11th-15th July 22nd-26th August 18th-22nd July 25th-29th July 1st-5th August 8th-12th August 15th-19th August

And Breathe

Oakham now has its own yoga studio and Mary enjoyed an early morning class there recently

SHORTLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS Tash Whileman opened the South Street Loft yoga studio in Oakham. It’s situated above igma ports if you’ve yet to find it. t’s a bright, spacious, airy place that makes you feel welcome and relaxed as soon as you walk up the stairs. ir conditioned as well, it’s a wellbeing space for everyone.

There are now 1 classes a week available to choose from, ranging from flow to move to fitness, recharge and ilates. There’s a lot of variation and various times so plenty to choose from with four teachers running di erent classes and teaching di erent disciplines. Classes are 12 for an individual class or you can buy bundles of five for 0 or ten for 100.

Tash has over 20 years experience of ilates teaching and four of yoga, having discovered it over 10 years ago in bi a. Her enthusiasm and joie de vive is infectious and you can’t help but join in with her. did a move class with her at . 0am and it’s the perfect way to wake your body and set yourself up well for the day.

‘I love to have a play so my class is very light hearted. I have a theme every week and this week is balance and twist. t’s all about having a go. t doesn’t matter how far you get it’s up to the individual and how you feel on the day. think it’s important to make people feel welcome so you know you can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy that hour on the mat. This time is for you and it’s calm and relaxed. t doesn’t matter how much you can do, think everyone benefits from that hour. t’s fun to explore what you can do and it’s fun to roll around and be silly, finding your inner child again. To have a go is important, it doesn’t matter if it goes wrong.’

The class was fun and everyone was very friendly. t was uite difficult in parts but never felt uncomfortable or inade uate and there are di erent levels to opt for. Relaxed, friendly and not scary is how would describe the class. ome of the movements had never done before and ’m keen to have another go. nd felt it the next day and that is enough for me.