DRIFFIELD IN BLOOM - YORKSHIRE IN BLOOM GOLD AWARD WINNERS 2006. ALSO RECIPIENTS OF BEST SMALL TOWN IN YORKSHIRE, AND BEST TOWN OR VILLAGE IN THE EAST RIDING 2006. Judges comments on last year's Spring and Summer Judging are as follows:

DRIFFIELD - GOLD

The Main Street area looked very good with refurbished tree circular baskets. Everyone in Driffield seems to have some input into Driffield in Bloom. The list seems rather too long to mention from the Local Authority to the local allotment holders,businesses, schools, hospital, the list just goes on.

SECTION A FLORAL DISPLAYS

The judges were impressed by:

1. Quality of plants and maintenance of Remembrance Garden.

2. Residential gardens showed excellent quality.

3. Maintenance of the recreational grounds is excellent.

4. The hanging basket quality at the Red Lion Pub.

Suggestions for future development:

1. It is rather difficult to suggest any new areas for further development as these will soon to be in the pipeline .

SECTION B PERMANENT LANDSCAPING, INCLUDING SHRUBS

The judges were impressed by:

1. The Local Authority s excellent care of road verges.

2. Commercial input where sites allow.

3. The Skateboard Park with planting undertaken by Driffield In Bloom.

Suggestions for future development:

1. Perhaps encourage residents to recycle green waste at home.

SECTION C LOCAL AGENDA 21 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The judges were impressed by:

1. The Millennium Green and Water Meadow, this will provide a very valuable area for the local environment.

2. The Recycling Plant is operated to a very high level by job with percentage of recycling rising.

Suggestions for future development:

1. Perhaps a few more information boards at the Millennium Green.

2. To invite people from other areas to see the success of the recycling plant.

SECTION D LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

The judges were impressed by:

1. Street furniture all being maintained to a high standard.

2. Ongoing involvement with Network Rail. Cleanliness of the whole area.

Suggestions for future development:

1. Perhaps a little more involvement with schools (like the C of E School with their Eco Beds ).

SECTION E PUBLIC AWARENESS

The judges were impressed by:

1. Sponsorship is obtained from a number of sources.

2. Britain in Bloom is very evident with fun day incorporating fundraising.

Suggestions for future development:

1. To follow the idea of a floral Britain in Bloom bed at the railway station

If you would like to join the committee or help in some way towards the town keeping these fantastic awards, contact Shirley Franklin, Chairman on 253046, Barbara Hall on 256753 or Felicity Temple on 240179.

An abridged version of our full colour brochure follows:

Spring Judging Brochure 2007

Driffield in Bloom

Great Driffield, as it is properly known, the self-styled “Capital of the Wolds” is a traditional, unpretentious working market town. Blessed these days with a multitude of independent shops as well as High Street names, we also have a busy railway station, sporting and leisure facilities such as Rugby, Football, Cricket, Bowls, two Tennis Clubs and a Swimming Pool (with a brand new one to be built this year). A service centre for its agricultural hinterland it is also the only East Riding Market town to have had any industrial significance. There are reminders of its past at the Sugar Mills and the name of the estate commemorating the printer Benjamin Fawcett. Still working is Bradshaw’s Mill to the south of the town, alongside the Driffield Beck and the Driffield Navigation, whose own future is now far more certain thanks to Regeneration initiatives for the River Hull Corridor.

Over the years the Driffield in Bloom Committee members have worked with an increasing number of voluntary and social groups and more recently have improved the commitment of local businesses. We have links with the Town Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, The Royal British Legion, The Rotary Club, East Yorkshire Air Cadets, the W.I., Driffield Silver Band, Northern Rail, Driffield Resource Centre, Spellowgate Allotment Society, the Skate & BMX Park Committee, the Driffield Schools and the Driffield Agricultural Society (and its Showground) to name but a few.

Spring Judging Route

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Leave from Belle Mills Café (marked with a red star on the map opposite) along Skerne Road, past the Business Centre & Skatepark, noting The Glades’ planted tubs.

Along Beverley Road. Note Showground & Armstrong Massey Garage

Past Montgomery Square to Amenity Centre – meet staff. Around Kelleythorpe Industrial Estate. Down Church Lane into Little Driffield

Note church, Pond and Village Green.

Past daffodils on roundabout and along York Road.

Note ERYC beds on North Street. Park by the Rose & Crown – a former commercial winner of our Summer Gardens Competition

Walk into North End Park – Green Flag Award Winner walk to

Tidy Team Depot & Twinning Garden – meet Tidy Team

Walk round Memorial Garden. Up to Pinfold and back in the car.

Down Scarborough Road to traffic lights

Turn left along Bridlington Road to the Cemetery,

Passing Alfred Bean Cottage Hospital.

Return along Exchange St – Access Centre & Beck, turn into

Market Place and meet the town’s Mayor & press.

Drive down Middle St South (Main St). Park at Boro Tyres, walk up to Railway Station. See platform plantings and future project at The Station Buffet.

Down Lockwood Street & St John’s Road up to Cross Hill. Park and visit Driffield Cof E Infants’ Eco Gardens.

Note new planters at the Library. Back in the car, turn left on to Mill Street

Pause at Westgarth Council Offices then Into Taylor’s Field Retirement Complex and turn round. Visit Recreation Ground and drive down to

The Millennium Green, turning round into Kings Mill Park – note trees

Along Bracken Road through the new housing on to Beverley Road. Down Riverhead to the Canal. Turn around and back down Skerne Road. Visit Skatepark and meet staff if there is time. Back to Belle Mills Garden Centre.

Committee

Our Committee meets formally every four weeks throughout the year to discuss funding, plans and progress. We organise planting gangs as and when necessary.

Our committee is made up of

§ Shirley Franklin our Chairman; also representing, Gardening Club, Flower Club, U3A Walking Group and the WI. Shirley was the driving force behind the inception of the Group and has won awards for her voluntary work for the town from both the Town Council and the East Riding Chairman. She was presented with the Chairman’s Award last year by weatherman Paul Hudson at an Awards Dinner at Willerby. Her planting, gardening and litterpicking skills are put to good use all year round.

§ Barbara Hall our Treasurer, who completes all the application forms for funding. She also represents: The Golden Jubilee/Driffield Festival Committee, The Town Silver Band and the Driffield Hospital Defence League (Alfred Bean) and is also a Rotarian “Fellow”. Barbara also has a keen eye for style and manages our budget.

§ Felicity Temple, Secretary, a Councillor on the East Riding of Yorkshire Council also on the CCTV Committee and Driffield Community Centre Management Board. Felicity produces the brochures and along with Dave Allen does most of the printing and publishing, using computers etc. She also drives the team bus!

§ Jean Cousins, a long standing Driffield Town Councillor also representing “The Old Folks Tea” Committee at the Driffield Community Centre. Jean can always be relied upon to man a stall (if she is not already doing it for another group), bake a few cakes, and do the washing up, as well as keeping an eye open for litter around the town.

§ Martin Temple – official photographer & handyman

§ Peter (& Becky) Lowe, Santa to some and our heavy lifter!

§ Albert Hallett, groundsman for one of our Doctors’ surgeries

§ Brenda Hallett, chief embroiderer and very neat gardener!

Barbara (& Frank) Bonner: Barbara is dynamic, enthusiastic and unfazed by bureaucracy! Her husband is a keen allotment holder and has helped raise funds by selling fellow plot-holders aerial photos taken by Martin Temple.

Carole Mason:

Has taken responsibility for the Boro Tyres site and does regular tidy inspections of the town. Is also an elf at Christmas.

Plus

§ Di & David Allen, new members from “The Glades” Neighbourhood Watch

§ Derek Choules, who waters the Sensory Garden at the Alfred Bean

§ Tony Jackson who will do anything!

Our Successes & Future Plans

2006’s Gold Award, Best in Category & Best Town in the East Riding

Without doubt this really cemented our community. To have won not only a Gold, but also Best in category and Best Town or Village was a tremendous accolade and one which brought increased publicity and recognition. We have submitted a request to the town council to ask for funding to pay for celebratory badges at the entrances to our town, and have agreement in principle from them.

We are also arranging to have our “uniform” fleeces embroidered with “Driffield in Bloom” and our Gold award in 2006.

Floral Improvement to the Town Centre – Hayracks & other planters

Without doubt, our most significant improvement in recent years has been the installation of craftsman designed and built hayracks for our Town Centre floral displays. We used a local blacksmith who understood our rudimentary sketches and produced exactly what we had envisaged - something unique for our agricultural and industrial heritage. Originally lined with Hessian which, although rustic, sadly only lasted two seasons, the replacement rot-resistant lining has proved even smarter.

Increasing Business Awareness

We are also grateful that so many of the town’s businesses are now getting on board with the In Bloom effort. We have our “Blooming Marvellous” shops which water our hayracks and Shirley mounted a successful campaign to persuade other retailers to adopt the Town Council’s excellent hanging baskets and our other floral displays.

We also have an excellent relationship with Rafter’s Greengrocers. Not only do they discount plants we buy from them, they supply the plants for the hayracks near the shop. Andy Rafter also contributes for raffles etc.

Our Industrial Estate at Kelleythorpe is also well landscaped. Cranswicks Foods have a new factory there employing 80 people (the whole site employs c.500) and their planting is now maturing well. We also have a Business Park near the Skatepark and the ERYC Cleansing Dept depot which is well kept and thriving.

Last year’s addition to our business partners was Boro Tyres, whose front yard had been an overgrown, weed-infested eyesore in previous years, but now boasts an appropriate planter made from tyres as well as the two original splendid tubs, filled with the company colours of blue and yellow. We hope to encourage others by this example.

Similarly we have had an exemplary relationship with Network Rail, who have “leased” free of charge a redundant office which we use as a potting shed and store. They also supply the manpower to hang the baskets and undertake heavy work with the gravel beds, supplying weed-suppressing membrane and chippings.

Our future plans include working with our local Bus Company regarding their bus station forecourt and ticket office and try and repeat the success we have enjoyed with Network Rail at the Railway Station. We have recently written to Peter Shipp, MD of EYMS to ask if he would be willing to sponsor floral displays etc. It is hoped we could repeat their livery theme of burgundy and cream.

There are a number of other major developments planned for the town into which we will have an input, namely a new Health Centre off Lockwood Street and a possible replacement for the current Tesco Supermarket, along with the new Swimming Pool being built by the East Riding this year on the Bridlington Road.


Publicity & Fund Raising

Children’s War Graves Memorial Service

Each year in November, the week before Armistice Day, we hold a Service for Children at the Cemetery. All the schools and youth groups are contacted, and numbers are beginning to snowball. This year our lay preacher’s theme was Driffield Airfield. He brought with him an Airfix model of a spitfire and painted a picture for the children of the many airmen’s graves containing bodies of young men.

The Committee spend a day the week before the service, cleaning the Military Graves. At the ceremony we provide children with poppies on crosses to place at the headstones, along with a map and a list of all the names of the dead servicemen. We have standard bearers from RAFA, RNA and The Royal British Legion and the Brownies and Scouts. We also invite Civil and Military Dignitaries.

The Polish Consul has been coming for two years now to give stature to our Ceremony. All those participating are invited back for lunch following the service. This year we also took the opportunity of using the Lunch to invite the groundsmen from the East Riding to an award ceremony of our own to mark our appreciation of the work they do for the town. Dave Allen printed certificates and our Chairman, Shirley Franklin presented these to the Street Sweepers and Gardeners.

Christmas Event at the Blue Bell

Father Christmas arrived in style this year on a vintage tractor, courtesy of a local Farm, Mr Derek Megginson. This was as a result of an appeal on BBC Look North’s “Leave it to Levy” where Barbara Hall, with Pete Lowe dressed as Santa, made an emotional appeal for transport to help Santa get to the Grotto to meet all the children! An afternoon’s filming resulted in a two minute slot, but had the desired effect!

Easter Fund Raising Stall

We also manned a stall at the Town Council’s Easter Fayre, the week before the Farmer’s Market. A simple Bottle Tombola netted £90.

THERE FOLLOWS THE LATEST RESULTS FROM THE YORKSHIRE IN BLOOM JUDGES FOR SPRING 2007

The judges were impressed by the overall standards with many colourful displays in the Remembrance Garden and North End Park. Though the majority of daffodils had gone over, the displays of tulips and trees and shrubs added to the colourful impact. The In Bloom team are to be commended for their efforts and worthy of continued support from the whole town.

SECTION A – FLORAL DISPLAYS

The judges were particularly impressed by:

1. Colourful displays in Remembrance Garden, Rotary Garden and the unique Hayracks

Exceptionally well maintained sports club grounds.