Green-fingered residents help make the borough shine
This year’s Havering in Bloom competition has seen residents once again showing off their creative talents to help make the borough bright and colourful.
The annual competition offers the chance for residents across Havering to enter into six different categories, where they can display a front garden full of well-kept blooms to being the owner of the tallest sunflower.
The winners and runners-up were invited to receive their certificates and vouchers from the Mayor of Havering, Councillor Michael Deon Burton, at the Town Hall.
The winners of each category are:
- Best communal garden: Susan Cotterrill and Bernard Murphy, Hornchurch
- Best allotment site: Amy Towe, Romford
- Best allotment plot: Christina Bridgen, Romford
- Best front garden: Gemma Towe, Romford
- Best back garden: Gemma Towe, Romford, Leonard Watkinson, Hornchurch
- Tallest sunflower: Angela Bathurst, Hornchurch
Mayor of Havering, Cllr Michael Deon Burton, said:
“It is a wonderful achievement by all who took part and I want to congratulate everyone. This competition takes place every year but we are more impressed each time at the creativity and dedication that is put in."
"It is a fantastic reflection of just how much our residents enjoy their communities and want to help us make them look beautiful and bright. We’re extremely proud of our green borough and the efforts of everyone who took part in this competition, including the work that goes on by our staff in our parks and open spaces on a daily basis.”
The prizes were sponsored by Paul Bartholomew of Grangewood Plastics, Romford and guest judge this year was Barry Farleigh, a local resident who has been actively involved in Havering in Bloom for many years.
The competition follows on the back of the success Havering has enjoyed in the London in Bloom competition recently, where the borough picked up 16 Gold awards, 6 Silver Gilt and 1 Silver award, plus a host of special awards for parks, town centres and cemeteries.
Runners-up awards for Havering in Bloom:
- Best communal garden: Peter Cox, Hornchurch, Clare Kelly, Hornchurch (both runners-up)
- Best front garden: Parminder Singh, Hornchurch, Marie Wilkinson, Romford (runners-up)
- Best back garden: Peter Nutley, Romford (runner-up)
- Tallest sunflower: Vanessa Revill, Hornchurch (2nd place) & Kerry Klintworth (3rd place)