Britain in Bloom
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2007 logo of Britain in Bloom

Britain in Bloom is a horticultural competition 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.^[1] It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society since 2002 and is currently sponsored by Shredded Wheat with former sponsors including B&Q. It is entered by settlements and awards are based on the Royal Horticultural Society's standards of Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver and Bronze; the winner is the settlement best judged to have met the rigorous judging criteria. While floral displays are without doubt an important part of the assessment, the 'Bloom' title is somewhat of a misnomer; the greater focus is on how all sectors of the local community are managing their local environment. Different categories exist for various sizes of settlements, and finalists are selected from the winners of regional competitions. The first stage is judged in around June/July; the second stage in August. The winners are announced in about September/October. The competition does not just cover the UK, but also the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

History

Britain in Bloom was first piloted by the British Tourist Authority in 1963, Lewisham being part of that pilot^[2], and became a full scale national competition the next year. The competition was designed to follow the model used in the Fleurissement de France. Roy Hay MBE, a horticultural journalist, had been on holiday in France during the ‘Fleurissement de France’ and was enthralled by the country being "filled to overflowing with flowers, shrubs and trees all in full bloom". He was so impressed that on his return to Britain, he approached the British Tourist Authority, and the Royal Horticultural Society and thus was born Britain in Bloom. The British Tourist Authority continued to manage the competition until 1983 when the Tidy Britain Group (the group responsible for the Keep Britain Tidy campaign and now known as EnCams) took over. 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.^[3]

Structure

The competition currently has ten entry categories, most of which are driven by the population of the entries. Thus, within each category, similar size communities compete with each other across a spectrum of horticultural endeavour including plantsmanship, landscaping and in dealing with issues of litter, graffiti and vandalism.^[3]

• Category A
  • Small Village
  • Village
  • Large Village
• Category B
  • Small Town
  • Town
  • Large Town/Small City
• Category C
  • Large Town/Small City
  • City
  • Large City
• Category D
  • Urban Community
  • Urban Regeneration
• Category E
  • Small Coastal
  • Large Coastal

Judging

Britain in Bloom encompasses 12 English regions, as well as Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. Such is the scope of the areas covered that judging usually takes place over two years in two stages.

1. Local competition: Entries are first submitted by voluntary local 'Bloom' Committees, depending upon the area, to Local Authorities, Town or Parish Councils. The local volunteers are colloquially known as "bloomers"^[4]. As judging approaches, the bloomers – who have steered their community's bid – will cajole and press-gang their burghers into last-minute tidy-ups, hedge-trims and litter-picks.

Judging takes place in June/July and winners announced during local presentations between August and November.

1. UK-wide: After the judging of the first stage (the Local competitions) Committees representing their nation/region select entrants 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.^[5]

National Winners

Regions

The regions of the UK and Crown dependencies used in the competition are (with reference to ceremonial counties and government office regions)

• 12 English Regions
  • Anglia (East of England region)
  • Cumbria
  • East Midlands (as region)
  • Heart of England (Gloucestershire less South Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire)
  • London
  • Northumbria (as North East England)
  • North West England (as region, less Cumbria)
  • South East England (East Sussex, Kent, West Sussex, Surrey)
  • South West England (Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, western Dorset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire)
  • Southern England (eastern Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, southern Wiltshire)
  • Thames and Chilterns (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire)
  • Yorkshire

• Nations and Islands
  • Ulster (Northern Ireland)
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Isle of Man
  • Guernsey
  • Jersey

Source of Civic Pride

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."^[4] 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"^[4], or Guildford, which advertises its past triumph in the Town category on its welcome signs.

References

1. ^ Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - About In Bloom
2. ^ Lewisham in Bloom heroes pick up awards
3. ^ ^{a b} Woolton in Bloom - Information on Britain in Bloom
4. ^ ^{a b c} Wednesday, 8 August 2007, Flower power: The Britain in Bloom phenomenon, The Independent
5. ^ RHS Britain in Bloom

External links

• Britain in Bloom
• Winners 2007 Yorkshire in bloom