How to contact Thornbury in Bloom

For more information visit www.thornburyinbloom.co.uk or www.facebook.com/thornburyinbloom

If you would like to join the Thornbury in Bloom committee, please contact the Chair Sue Aitken or any committee member at .

To enter your home or shop in the Thornbury in Bloom competition, please collect an entry form from the Town Hall.

Sue Aitken at Thornbury Garden Shop produces a Thornbury In Bloom newsletter. If you would like to receive this by email, send your email address to:

Click here to read the current newsletter.

Latest News

A team of volunteers from Thornbury in Bloom joined forces with Thornbury Golf Centre recently to plant a new collection of trees on one of the facility’s two courses.

The green-fingered group planted the trees to create a new copse between the sixth and seventh holes next to the public footpath public pay-and-play facility’s short Par-3 Severn View Course.

Volunteers helped to dig the earth and plant the trees along with Stuart Bowman, Thornbury Golf Centre’s Course Manager.

Thornbury Golf Centre Course Manager Stuart Bowman (far right) is joined by Thornbury in Bloom volunteers to plant a new copse on the course.

Stuart said: “The new copse will add to the aesthetics and enjoyment of the course, but more importantly will provide a habitat for the varied wildlife that we have around the golf course which will aid us in creating a positive impact in the environment. Thornbury Golf Centre is committed to remain an environmentally friendly facility and planting schemes like these help us achieve those goals.

“We chose the location carefully as it right next to the only public footpath that runs through the course, so the local community using the path will also benefit from the new copse. The volunteers from Thornbury in Bloom were excellent and I would like to thank them for a tremendous effort planting so many trees.”

Thornbury Golf Centre – part of Burhill Golf & Leisure, the UK’s leading golf course owner and operator – implemented an Environmental Plan in 2009, which has seen it make significant changes to its operating procedures to ensure environmental sustainability.

Melanie Drake, Thornbury Golf Centre General Manager, added: “This tree planting is just one of a number of plans we have this year to ensure we are helping the environment as well as adding to the golfing experience for our visitors.

“Other plans we have include projects with local schools to build and erect a number of bird boxes on the trees around both the main 18-hole Marlwood Course and the Severn View; an increase in the capacity of our own irrigation lake and a reduction in the electrical load consumed within the clubhouse and 11-bedroom Lodge.”

For further information on Thornbury Golf Centre visit www.thornburygc.co.uk

2012 Plans

We have had confirmation of the VERY exciting news that this year not only has Thornbury been invited to compete again in the Nationals, but THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY has invited us to enter the top and most prestigious class THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS!

Thornbury has achieved this status by such consistently good results over many years. This is a huge honour but inevitably means we have to do everything even bigger and better and think of some brand new projects!

Sponsor a Thornbury Tree

One of the most important parts of the In Bloom competition is long term planting, and over the last few years several people have funded a tree in Thornbury as either a memorial for loved ones or as a business or society sponsorship.

The cost of a tree can be between £200 and £350 depending on the size of the tree and the variety.

If you, as an individual or as a representative of a business or community group would like to discuss sponsoring a tree please get in touch with Sue Aitken or Judith Hurford our Tree Warden as soon as possible.

If you would like to contribute but only a smaller amount then Thornbury In Bloom will certainly be looking to plant a tree to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee and this could be sponsored by a whole group of people. Our Golden Jubilee Tree is in the Wildflower Meadow behind the Cemetery.

2011 results

THORNBURY won a coveted GOLD medal in the National competition.

We should all be very pleased with ourselves as out of about 71 entries in the whole of the National competition there were only 15 Golds awarded.

Our category was particularly strong with Golds also going to Forres in Scotland, Halstead in Anglia and Rustington on the South Coast who pipped us to the category winner.

Special thanks to all those who met the judges on judging day. Their comments were that the over-riding impression was of a very friendly welcoming town and they really enjoyed their visit.

In the South West In Bloom results the good news is that Thornbury won a GOLD MEDAL AND THE SARGEANT CUP for the best in our class!

Also our seven Neighbourhood awards were all in the top two categories:

• Hamalot Allotments
• The Bathings
• Hacket Lane Residents
• Friends Of Medieval Fishponds

• The Tree Strategy Group
• The Christ The King Prayer Garden
• The Community Garden

Congratulations AND THANK-YOU to all - this is a joint effort from everyone involved!

Sue and the Team.

Thank you Thornbury!

Sue Aitken says:

Well done everyone-what a huge effort from so many people!

Thanks are due to so many people, so what ever part you have played in our town's entry in this amazing competition, on behalf of all our team thank-you so much!

Every little bit counts, weeding, sweeping, dead-heading, planting, fund-raising, writing letters, providing refreshments, talking to people to get them involved, or just being there for moral support with a kind word or two, every little bit is an important part of the complex jigsaw that is Thornbury In Bloom.

As the judge said, what ever the outcome of the medal awards we are all winners because we have got as far as the National Competition. We are also all winners because we live and work or receive visitors to a town that is attractive and clean and has a fantastic community spirit.

So thank-you to you all.

About Thornbury in Bloom

We all enjoy the floral displays that brighten up Thornbury each Summer. Imaginative floral creations welcome us as we enter the town, and hanging baskets and tubs create colourful splashes throughout the town centre.

For this we have to thank the Thornbury in Bloom Committee - a group of volunteers who raise money each year to fund the displays, and work hard to plant up the various containers.

Their efforts make Thornbury an attractive place for locals and visitors.

Thornbury's green-fingered experts are closely involved; many of the hanging baskets and business decorations are supplied by Tytherington Road Nursery, Jean Owen from J&T Owen florists decorates the Parish Pump as well as other containers throughout Thornbury, and Sue Aitken from Thornbury Garden Shop fills upturned putchers - these used to be used for catching fish on the River Severn and provide a visual link with Thornbury's heritage.

You'll find the putchers around Rock Street, the allotments and at Thornbury Garden Shop.

It's not just those of us who live locally who appreciate the effort and skill that goes into creating the floral displays. The Thornbury in Bloom committee enters the Britain in Bloom competition, and regularly wins awards.

Prizes are awarded locally to businesses: pubs, shops and even industrial units take part.

There are also local prizes for private gardens, and everyone is encouraged to take part. There are certificates and garden vouchers to be won!

Each Spring the Thornbury in Bloom committee holds a Thornbury in Bloom Day, with plant stalls and collections, culminating with an evening event, which in the past has involved presentations by Chelsea Gold Medal winners such as Jekka McVicar and Leyhill Prison.

Thornbury Town Council

Garden Centres