Bourne
in bloom
Mrs Nelly Jacobs, the Mayor, Councillor Judy Smith, and town
centre co-ordinator
Ivan Fuller, with the winning scrolls and certificate in 2008.
Voluntary work by many people, including schoolchildren,
has won Bourne awards for eleven successive years in the medium-sized town
category of the East Midlands in Bloom competition with silver gilt awards
from 2008-2015 and a silver award in 2016.
The industrious efforts of the Bourne in Bloom committee, originally headed by Nelly
Jacobs, clerk to Bourne Town Council, and its many helpers, were a tangible sign of the enthusiasm
needed to make
the town an attractive place not only for those who live here but also for
visitors.
The annual event is community based and designed to encourage cleaner, smarter
and more attractive town centres in the region. There are several sections and
Bourne falls into the Towns category, those with a population of between 6,000
and 12,000, based on the last electoral register.
The judges usually give a month’s notice of their arrival and tour the town
looking out for floral displays, attractive and colourful gardens and parks
and so it is important for everyone to give special attention to those places
under their control whether it is merely the lawn and herbaceous borders or a
public open space. Pupils from local schools, the scouts and police cadets all
help in keeping the streets and public places clear of litter.
An indication of what is needed was given by one of the judges,
Doug Stacey, when he spoke to the town council in 2009. “The competition
originated in France and has been running for 45 years”, he said. “It leads to
cleaner communities and encourages people to work together and take pride in
their town.”
The competition carries with it an involvement of the people and the chance to
make our streets attractive throughout the summer months, not just for the
judges but also for the many visitors who arrive here with Bourne either as a
destination or merely passing through. The work carried out in successive
years is the perfect example of how a small market town should look at this
time of the year and we should remember that if people like what they see then
they will come again.
THE AWARDS
* 2006:
The town collected a silver award after scoring 121 points out of a possible
200. Oakham in Rutland took top place with the gold award in the event which
attracted dozens of entries from across the region. A special award was also
made by the judges to the Westfield Primary School for its outstanding
allotment garden and pond.
* 2007: The town won a second silver award with 143 points, 22 more than the
previous year with a judges’ award for nature conservation work in Bourne Wood
in co-operation with the Friends of Bourne Wood.
* 2008: Bourne was awarded 151 points, its highest ever, to win a silver gilt
Award. The judges were particularly impressed by the colourful planters around
the town centre and surrounding streets and a special award was made to the
gardeners at the council's allotments in South Fen. Work at the Willoughby
School was also praised by the judges while Westfield Primary School won a
silver gilt award after entering in the new schools category.
*2009: The town achieved 154 points and collected another silver gilt award
together with two other prizes, a judges’ honour for the sensitive management
of Bourne Wood and another for the least littered environment. Advice for the
future from the judges at the award ceremony at Cleethorpes was to include
larger floral displays and the organising committee is hoping that sponsors
will come forward to finance additional planting for future entries.
*2010: Another silver
gilt award and the highest number of points so far, 162, and winner of its
category. Other successes this year included a judges' award for the Robert
Manning College Gardening Club for the attractive and innovative planting of
the floral boat in South Street and the Best School Garden award which went to
the Westfield Primary School. Special mention was also made of the management
of Bourne Wood and the work of Friends of Bourne Wood together with the black
and gold street furniture and the continuing involvement of schools and
community.
* 2011 A fourth silver
gilt award for Bourne which again collected 162 points out of a possible 200,
just seven points short of the coveted gold. The Wellhead Gardens were given a
special award by the judges who were also impressed by the War Memorial
Gardens, the flowering baskets on the protective metal barriers in the town
centre and Bourne Wood. They also suggested that it would be beneficial if
more traders provided hanging baskets outside their premises to improve the
appearance of the town centre in the future.
*
2012 A fifth silver gilt award for Bourne
which again collected
162 points out of a possible 200, just seven points short of the coveted
gold,
and
the Willoughby School in South Road received a special judges' award.
Nelly Jacobs, pictured left with the presentation scroll, said
afterwards: "We don't do as much as some towns but what we do is good
quality and the judges did notice an increased input from traders which
was most helpful. There has also been a lot more community involvement
this this year and that proved to be beneficial." |
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* 2013: A sixth silver gilt
award for Bourne despite dropping nine points on last year's entry, collecting
153 out of a possible 200. A special judges' award was also given to the new
community orchard at Bourne Wood and there were special mentions for the
Jubilee Meadow adjoining the Wellhead Gardens and landscaping work at Elsea
Park although it was felt that there were too few floral displays in the town
centre and street furniture such as benches and railings could be improved.
"We do need more involvement from local businesses but all of the positives
from this year's entry will encourage us next year", said Mrs Jacobs.
* 2014: A seventh silver
gilt award for Bourne and an increase in points on last year's entry,
collecting 160 out of a possible 200. The judges praised the heavy involvement
of businesses, traders and the community, and a special judges' award was
given to sensory garden that has been established at the Willoughby School in
South Road which was described as being "truly exceptional" for use by
disabled children. "We are happy with the increase in points although we would
have liked to have been placed a little higher", said Mrs Jacobs. "But we have
only a small budget for entering the competition and therefore depend on the
goodwill of the entire town but, nevertheless, we hope to build on our
excellent community involvement next year."
* 2015: Bourne won
another silver gilt award, narrowly missing the coveted gold by just a few
points. The town was awarded a total of 164 points out of a possible 200 but
was narrowly beaten to the gold by Immingham with 183 points. Bourne was also
given a special judge’s award for what was described as “beautifully planted
flower bed in South Street providing all year round interest”. As in previous
years, much of the work to keep the town looking good was the work of
volunteers under the direction of the clerk to town council, Mrs Nelly Jacobs,
who has now retired although Bourne will still be back next year in the hope
of winning gold.
2016: The town’s result
disappointingly slipped to a silver award this year and the only bright spot
appears to have been a judges’ award to Jim and Brenda Jones of the Civic
Society for their work in maintaining Baldock’s Mill, home of the Heritage
Centre. Ian Sismey, clerk to the town council which organises the event in
Bourne, was clearly disappointed but felt that a silver award did not reflect
the efforts by the community that had been put into the event during the year.
"Nevertheless", he said, "we hope more people will become involved next year
and that we can have a larger committee and more resources through sponsorship
from local businesses."
To win the gold award. Bourne would
need a total of 170-200 points which is classed as outstanding and until now,
the town has been
steadily increasing its rating each year to within a few points away from
gold. The 2016 was therefore a major setback.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE AWARDS
The successes have been a particularly commendable
effort because 2006 was Bourne's first entry in thirty years and one that
reflected the hard work of the clerk to the town council, Mrs Nelly
Jacobs, who put in so much effort behind the scenes. "Her enthusiasm for
the project shone”, said Ivan Fuller, the town centre manager, “and
her commitment was exceptional.” Ivan Fuller and Nelly Jacobs are pictured
here with one of the town centre floral decorations that year. |
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The flowed beds at the end of Coggles Causeway are
one of the main features in the town's annual entry, providing a splash of
colour for visitors entering the town along South Road, the main A15 from
the south. The stone-built raised beds are planted each spring in
readiness for the judging, here in the summer of 2008 with African
marigolds, tagetes and agertarum, while people living in the vicinity keep
an eye on their progress and remove any weeds as they appear. Further
along the road towards the town centre, the Victorian iron palisade railings alongside
the Bourne Eau provide a perfect support for the planters full of
geraniums and petunias. |
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Civic Society member Jim Jones (right) with volunteer Ben Harris,
clearing the algae and other weeds from the Bourne Eau in South Street in
2010. |
THE COMPETITION IN 2009 |
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A new feature was added in South Street in readiness
for the arrival of the judges for the competition in 2009 on a patch of
lawn between the Darby and Joan Club and the Bourne Eau which until now
has been occupied only by a public seat. The centrepiece was a 14 foot
Enterprise sailing dinghy that was presented by Tony Everitt, aged
65, quartermaster of the 1st Bourne Scout Group, who teaches the lads
sailing at the Whitewater Reservoir near Stamford. “The boat is about
fifty years old and made of wood and so it is rather past its prime for
our purposes”, he explained, “but it is perfect in its new role as the
centrepiece of a floral display.”
Tony, who has been associated with the scout movement for almost half a
century, arranged for the craft to be delivered to its new site and
organised the soil while Year 7 pupils from the gardening club at the
Robert Manning College brought along plants they had grown themselves.
Other volunteers from the Bourne in Bloom committee were there to lend a
hand while the future maintenance and watering will be undertaken by the
Learning Disability Group. This project has not only added a colourful
feature to the street scene but has also demonstrated the value of
volunteers and groups working together for the good of the community which
will also have long term effects because the boat is to remain in situ for
the future and will be replanted with seasonal flowers throughout the
year.
Other new features included a large planter and hanging baskets on the
west side of the town centre and more tubs outside the town hall (below). |
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An innovation for the competition in 2014 was a
selection of four sculptures created by pupils at Bourne Academy which
were put on display on the roundabout in West Road (above). Unfortunately,
these unusual artistic creations did not please everyone and one of them
(on the right) disappeared overnight but after a police appeal it was
returned, having been found by a passing cyclist abandoned in a nearby
ditch and restored to its rightful place in the display. The idea was
repeated in 2015 when two sculptures created by pupils at the school were
put on display on the roundabout (below) but these two works did not
receive the same public acclaim. |
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Containers full of seasonal flowers sponsored by
local businesses have been placed at vantage points on all entrance roads
into the town such as here in North Street to supplement the annual entry
in the competition. |
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The bus station has been greatly improved over the years, the latest
additions being floral displays to boost Bourne’s chances in the Bourne in
Bloom competition. |
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JUDGING FOR THE 2009 COMPETITION
by Nelly Jacobs
Bourne in Bloom co-ordinator
Unfortunately only one judge was present; the
second one, Andy Crofts, was forced to send his apologies for health
reasons. Judging began at 10.15 am [on Thursday 16th July] with a short
walk through the War Memorial gardens, the town centre and into the
weekly market which was being held that day. We then continued the tour
by car and visited various locations including the Abbey CE Primary
School, the industrial estate, including Cherryholt Square, the town
council allotments in South Fen Road, the Willoughby School, the
cemetery, Elsea Park estate and meadow and finally the town's biggest
asset, Bourne Wood. Throughout the tour Mel appeared to be very
impressed with the cleanliness of the town and the
low number of empty shops. He also commented on the high figures for
recycling waste for the area and community involvement shown to make
Bourne a nicer place to live and work in.
We as committee members felt very proud of the visual improvements in
the town since its first entry into this particular competition in 2006
and we know that Mel Henley also saw the difference as he was part of
the judging
team in 2006. The cleanliness of the town was a credit to our community
cleaner and support staff from South Kesteven District Council and of
course the volunteers from the town's scouts, police cadets and Robert
Manning College and many other individuals who gave up their time to do
some litter picking, weeding or other last minute jobs. A big thank you
to everyone who helped in any way possible throughout the year.
The results of this competition will be announced on 9th September
during an awards ceremony in Cleethorpes. Please remember: just because
this year's judging is over does not mean that we can sit back and wait
for next spring to continue with the project. This is supposed to be an
all year round exercise and has to be proven within the portfolio as
such. Planters for the winter months are being planned, the gardening
club at the Robert Manning College is looking forward to filling the new
boat feature in the autumn ready for the next season. In the meantime,
please report any tree planting or other improvements within the town to
a member of the Bourne in Bloom Committee or the town council and we
shall endeavour to include this information in next year's entry.
Hopefully you will be able to provide us with digital photographs and a
short statement about the exercise but if you do not have the equipment
let us know and we shall come out to take photographs.
Once again, many thanks to the residents, organisations and businesses
in Bourne for continuing to strive towards a much improved environment.
In the picture (left to right): Ivan
Fuller, Jim Jones, Mel Henley (judge for East Midlands
in Bloom) and Brenda Jones. |
JUDGING FOR THE 2010 COMPETITION
by Nelly Jacobs
Bourne in Bloom co-ordinator
Members of the Bourne in Bloom Committee attended
the awards presentation ceremony at the Guildhall, Northampton, on 15
September 2010.
Bourne has yet again achieved a silver gilt award and for the first time
since 2006 Bourne was the winner of its category. The 162 points awarded
are just eight points away from a gold award.
The judges commented again about the cleanliness of the town and
considered the floral displays in the War Memorial gardens, baskets,
towers, troughs and tubs around the town as well as the planted boat to
be very good. They also commented that more retailers/businesses
especially along the main street should be encouraged to contribute
florally to the town’s entry; this might help to gain the top award.
Further positive comments were received about the landscaping at the
Roman Bank industrial estate, the residential gardens located in Elsea
Park which were considered to be extremely well designed. Planting, the
landscaping and composting scheme in the town cemetery also received
praise. They were very impressed with the management at Bourne Wood and
the supporting Friends group. Black and gold street furniture
complemented the already attractive street scene. Recycling statistics
were applauded and so were the portfolio and the persistent press
coverage promoting the competition. Last but not least the good schools
and community involvement evidenced throughout the tour received a
special mention.
The Robert Manning College Gardening Club received a Judges Award
for the attractive and innovative planting of the floral boat in South
Street and Westfield Primary School managed to win the Best School
Garden competition. This competition is judged completely independent
from the town’s entry but a “Bloom” entry is only allowed to submit one
school for this competition. Thirty schools in total were hoping to take
home the plaque from this competition.
Congratulations and thanks from Bourne Town Council and the Bourne in
Bloom committee go out to everybody who has been involved in this year’s
efforts to make our town a nicer place. |
JUDGING FOR THE 2011 COMPETITION
by Nelly Jacobs
Bourne in Bloom co-ordinator
Litter pickers were out in force ahead of the
arrival of the judges on Sunday and Monday mornings and volunteers from
the Carlsberg depot in Spalding Road, Bourne, also helped transform the
overgrown area in Church Walk the previous Saturday.
Thanks to the last-minute efforts of the litter pickers and the
Carlsberg workers, the town really did look very clean. This was
definitely picked up on by the judges and the environmental achievements
at the Wellhead Gardens and in Bourne Wood were also noticed. Generally
speaking I think the visit went very well but I don’t know whether we
have done enough to improve on our silver gilt award from last year. We
will just have to wait and see but it would be nice to have done better and
I will be keeping my fingers crossed.
In the picture (left to right): Ivan
Fuller, Richard Stephen and Richard Adams (judges for East Midlands
in Bloom), Brenda Jones, Nelly Jacobs and Jim Jones.
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JUDGING FOR THE 2012 COMPETITION
The two judges were given a tour of the town on Tuesday 10th July by
members of the Bourne in Bloom committee. Co-ordinator Mrs Nelly Jacobs,
who is also clerk to the town council, said afterwards that she was
pleased with how the day had gone and was hopeful of improving on last
year’s silver gilt award. "There has been a real effort in the town
centre by shopkeepers and our volunteers to get the streets looking
good", she said. “Traders have really come on board this year and some
shops have even used alcoves in their entrances to position floral
containers." The previous day, a litter pick was organised to clean up
the town with many volunteers joining in including the 1st Bourne Scouts
and several town councillors while on Tuesday morning, pupils from
Bourne Academy put in one final effort to tidy up the streets.
In the picture: Judges Richard Adams
and David Bramwell with Ivan Fuller (town centre manager), Jim and
Brenda Jones (Bourne Civic Society) and Nelly Jacobs. |
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A bonus for entering the 2006 competition was the
acquisition of a replica of a famous English landmark which will remain
on display in Bourne for as long as it lasts. The sculpture measuring 14
feet across and six feet high is a scale copy of the Angel of the North
by Antony Gormley which is located on a hill at Gateshead near
Newcastle where it has been greeting visitors for almost ten years and
has become an icon for the north east. It was made from wheat reed and
foam by Sarah Walton, a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art who
previously worked as an assistant to Mr Gormley, and was one of eight
similar models used in the British Food Fortnight Exhibition in October
2007 and offered to all parishes which participated in the Britain in
Bloom competition on a first come first served basis. Mrs Nelly Jacobs,
clerk to the town council, acted
swiftly by applying within minutes and was given first choice for the
replica which was erected in the new section of the town cemetery in South Road
in January 2008 and is expected to last around one year in outdoor conditions. |
REVISED SEPTEMBER 2016
See also
Nelly Jacobs
The Bourne in Bloom logo
When Bourne was clean and smart |