Spondon in Bloom 2007

2007 victory!

Spondon gathered its 3^rd win in East Midlands in Bloom winning another silver-gilt medal. Shown here are Dee and Eddie Spencer of the Village Improvement Committee collecting their award at Northampton. The VIC also received the special Judges Award for their overall teamwork.

Spondon's contribution to Derby's win in the town category was also recognised, with The Beeches also receiving a Judges Award.

There was disappointment, however, in the Britain in Bloom competition, albeit gaining a silver award. Pictured here are Margaret Kelley and Tricia Paton of the Village Improvement Committee collecting the certificate presented by Susan Hampshire. The judges' summary was, however, pleasant to read(!):

"The community has a strong 'village' feel, although its splendid new cricket ground is far removed from a traditional village green. The community has worked to minimise the disruption caused by the arrival of the A52. The result is a pleasing mix, with a rural feel within an urban context. This will be further strengthened by the ambitious scheme to reinstate the canal".

SCAN article

Once again, this year, Spondon will be in the judging sights of the Royal Horticultural Society three times!

The first time is on the morning of Tuesday 10^th July when Spondon will be presented as part of Derby’s entry in the “small city” category of East Midlands in Bloom. Of necessity, this will be a very short visit, concentrating on the village centre itself.

In some ways, this will be a rehearsal for the return of the RHS judges two days later on the morning of Thursday 12^th July, when Spondon will be judged in its own right for our entry in the “urban community” category. We have more time, on this occasion, to show our strengths.

Starting at the Village Hall, the judges will walk up Sitwell Street and Chapel Street to the Sensory Garden, then on to West Road, noting the Almshouses and the Guide hut, and down the footpath on to West Park Meadow Nature Reserve.
The next part of the journey will be by car. The judging party will be picked up at the School gates on Park Road, going down Church Street, Sitwell Street, Willowcroft Road and Cambridge Street; along Arnhem Terrace, Milldale Road, Borrowfield Road to The Anglers and on to Nottingham Road, down Station Road to The Moon.
They will then walk along the canal bed (the proposed route of the Linear Park) to the information board at B & Q, and return by car via Lodge Lane North to visit The Beeches at the end of Gascoigne Drive.

We will be showing them a different park this year, taking them up by car to Dale Road Park with its sports facilities, pond and good views of the surrounding area. The last part of the route takes us along Sancroft Road to the Waste Field Allotments, and another new venue – the new grounds of Spondon Cricket Club at the top of Locko Road. The journey will end at St. Werburgh’s Parish Room.
The actual route may vary on the day due to any unforeseen circumstances.
The real test will follow on 3^rd August we will hope to repeat our 2005 triumph in Britain in Bloom. The route may vary slightly from the earlier one, and we will be doing a “leaflet drop” to all houses along the route nearer the time.

The Judges will be looking for a tidy, litter-free environment along with well-tended gardens, so we would like to ask for your co-operation please, whether your house is “on the route” or not. The judges have the freedom to dart off wherever they fancy!

Spondon wins Civic Award

This year's "in Bloom" activities were kicked off in fine style with the Community Association receiving a Civic Award from Derby City Council. Chair of the Community Association, Roy Battelle received the award from the new Mayor, Councillor Pauline Latham. Members of the SCA executive Committee and Village Improvement Committee (seen left) were guests at the ceremony.

Paying tribute to the activities of the Association, the citation included: "The Association and groups have held numerous events over the years that bring the community together and help make Spondon a better place to live. They have worked tirelessly raising funds for projects such as Spondon In Bloom, which has paid off as Spondon has won several categories and is in fact entered into Britain in Bloom in 2007."

The award was announced on the City Council website here.

Judging dates

Spondon's entry in East Midlands in Bloom will be judged on the morning of Thursday 12^th July. We will also be visited by East Midlands in Bloom judges during the morning of Tuesday 10^th July as part of the Derby city entry.

Judging for Britain in Bloom will take place on Friday 3^rd August.

Flowering container competition

This year's competition will be judged in the week beginning Monday 6^th August. Entry forms will be in the next edition of SCAN which will be distributed early in July. Alternatively, just with your name and adders details. The flowering container(s) must be visible from the street.

The closing date for entries is Monday 30^th July.

Open gardens weekend

Following last year's success, we are repeating the Open Garden weekend. This year, we are running it in conjunction with the St Werburgh's Church Flower Festival, so it will take place on Saturday and Sunday 8/9th September. Further details in the next issue of SCAN. Alternatively, you can download and complete the entry form by clicking here (you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Earlier years of the "in Bloom" project can be seen by clicking on the appropriate year: 2004, 2005, 2006

Take a look at the other major VIC projects (support for the re-opening of Derby & Sandiacre Canal and the Village History Trail), the Severn-Trent clock or past and planned events.