Northumbria in Bloom inspectors visit Alnwick

David and Dot Patterson, accompanied by four members of Alnwick in Bloom, were given a tour of the town centre, along with The Pinfold, Column Field and Pottergate Gardens.

They also visited Swansfield Park Forest School, St Paul’s Court, The Cookie Jar, The John Bull, The Bullfield Community Orchard, 35 Swansfield Park Road, St James’s Allotments and Alnwick Garden including its Roots and Shoots Allotment.

In 2022 Alnwick won the Best Town Award and Best Spring Entry in the Northumbria in Bloom Town category and it is hoped that all the hard work undertaken by the Alnwick in Bloom volunteers, Alnwick Town Council and Northumberland County Council will be recognised at the Northumbria in Bloom awards ceremony in September.

Following their success in 2022, Alnwick will represent the Northumbria in Bloom region in the national finals of the Britain in Bloom competition in early August.

Meanwhile, ‘Growing Wild in Alnwick’ was the theme for this year’s Alnwick in Bloom painting competition and a wonderfully imaginative array of pictures were entered by children from every school in the town.

Alnwick in Bloom president, Tom Pattinson, invited them to a presentation ceremony in The Alnwick Garden, where guest of honour was competition judge Katherine Renton, a local artist.

Guests also included Margaret Casey, who organised the competition, Liz Adams, Jenny MacDowell and Kathleen Bradford of the Alnwick in Bloom group.

The 25 prize-winning artists were presented with a voucher, courtesy of Alnwick Lions Club, while pupils who created the seven category winners also received a postcard of their painting.