The Yorkshire In Bloom 2000 competition has been launched and York is hoping to improve on past successes.

The floral event is part of Britain In Bloom and organisers are aiming to attract entries from villages, towns and cities across the region.

Last year the village of Dunnington, near York, won the Ben Bailey Homes Ltd New Housing Award.

It was a victory for some of the village's newest residents as the category of the award was for groups of houses under five years old.

The success for Dunnington followed the certificate of merit it was awarded in the small country town category of Yorkshire In Bloom.

York as a city took a best floral displays award in the wider Britain In Bloom competition and Wetherby gained further honours with a Gold Award in the 'Entente Florale' European competition.

As far as Yorkshire In Bloom was concerned, Tadcaster won best small town. Now, for 2000, it is hoped displays will be brighter than ever. As Frank Robinson, chairman of Yorkshire In Bloom, explained: "We are looking towards a bumper year for entries, as more villages, towns and communities seek to improve their environment through extra planting, landscaping and floral features."

To mark the Millennium, Yorkshire In Bloom is seeking to involve as many communities as possible in a new award.

The new Millennium Project Competition invites entries which celebrate the Millennium and demonstrate originality and contribute an improvement in the quality of life in that area.

A trophy will be awarded for each of the next three years, leading to an outright winner in the fourth year.

For more information contact (01423) 873316.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.