YORK has secured a silver gilt award in this year’s Britain In Bloom competition – one step away from the elusive gold.

This year marked the first time in about 15 years that the city had the opportunity to fly the flag for Yorkshire in the national contest after winning Yorkshire In Bloom silver gilt certificates for the past four years.

York was one of 77 cities, towns and villages which took part in the national contest, run by the Royal Horticultural Society. Judges toured the city earlier this year, visiting sites including New Earswick, Low Moor Community kids’ allotment, York St John University, the council Eco Depot and York Racecourse.

The city competed against four other entrants in the “city” category which was open to communities with a population of more than 100,000. Stockton-on-Tees won gold.

In addition to York’s entry, Dunnington, which last year won the Yorkshire In Bloom small town competition for the fifth time, was selected to enter the small town category of Britain In Bloom and came away with a silver gilt – this was despite organisers struggling with damage caused by a storm the day before the judges arrived in August.

The winners collected their awards at a ceremony last night hosted by TV gardener and presenter Rachel De Thame at the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews.

Roger Burnett, the chairman of the RHS Britain in Bloom UK judging panel, said: “My fellow judges and I noticed this year that many communities are facing even greater challenges than ever before because of financial conditions, political changes, civil unrest and that’s not even to mention the unpredictable British weather.

“But we are extremely pleased to report how we have seen many communities using RHS Britain In Bloom as a solution and really pulling together as a group of volunteers, as communities, to continue to move forward facing down everything from a tornado to damage from rioting.

“No matter what the challenge, the finalists were facing it with determination and spirit and making their communities better places in which to live.”

Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, Whitby scooped gold to win the coastal town up to 12,000 population category, while the small town category winner was St Martin in Guernsey, which scooped gold.

Meanwhile, Glenrothes, in Scotland, got gold in the large town category and Luddenden in Calderdale got the gold in the village category. Bristol won the large city category.

York Press: The Press - Comment

City has never looked brighter

THE British were once memorably described as a nation of shopkeepers. But we could equally well be described as a nation of gardeners.

If the Englishman’s home is his castle, then his garden is often his pride and joy.

This year, that pride has extended to the whole of York. Huge effort has been put in to make the city look bloomin’ marvellous for this year’s Britain In Bloom. From hanging baskets to roundabouts, front gardens to city parks, everywhere there was a blaze of colour. Some streets and borders were even transformed into vegetable plots as part of Edible York – adding even more greenery and variety.

Sadly, as a city we were pipped to the post in the national competition. York picked up a prestigious silver gilt award: one level behind the gold which went to Stockton.

But we also picked up a clutch of gold and silver awards in the Yorkshire category. And at national level, Dunnington also did well. It picked up a silver gilt award in the small town category – even though organisers had to struggle with storm damage the day before the judges arrived in August.

Hopes had been high this year that York would pick up a gold in the small city category. So there is some understandable disappointment that we achieved “only” a silver gilt.

But that disappointment is misplaced. Thanks to the efforts of everyone who took part, we’re all winners. York has never looked more fantastic than it did this year. So well done to all.

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