Middleton In Bloom: golden sweep of awards at prestigious horticulture awards

Date published: 01 November 2019

Middleton In Bloom’s entry in the RHS North West in Bloom 2019 regional competition won a gold award for the Large Town/Small City category, the highest individual award available.

This year’s gold is the first for Middleton, having won silver in 2018 and 2017.

The accolade is the culmination of a year of work which has been undertaken by many local people, groups and projects.

Other award winners

• Gold for Hare & Hounds (first time entry) small accommodation 
• Gold for Medal Jubilee Park (first time entry RHS Parks)
• Gold for Middleton Town Centre Management (Best Town Centre)

The clean sweep of golds is a fabulous achievement for Middleton, with two improvements and two first-time entries.

Keeley O’Mara, Secretary of Middleton in Bloom, said: "I’m absolutely ecstatic. We are totally overwhelmed but so proud of Middleton."

This year, the volunteer-led community group showed judges along their colourful and innovative route, consisting of St Michael's Garden Gang, Hope Community Garden, Rhodes Lodges, Middleton Memorial Gardens, Middleton Town Centre, Truffet Park, The Honey Pot Bed, Jubilee Park, The Steam Train, Croft Community Garden Society, Boarshaw Cemetery, Middleton Technology School and first-time commercial entry, The Hare & Hounds.

Also included on the route were ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ community group entries at Status 4 All, Historic Cheapside, RBH’s Chisholm Court, Tonge Court, Alkrington Court and Springvale Youth Club.

RHS judges visited Middleton in July and were impressed with the stunning displays, including a Peterloo Memorial by Historic Cheapside, plus the Townley Flyer train, named by Lynn Etchells, and the Fusilier boatman at Rhodes Lodges.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/129211/middleton-in-bloom-welcome-rhs-judges

Included on the judging route, the Peterloo Memorial was created by Paula Hickey and Martin Cove of Historic Cheapside to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre.

Installed in July, The Townley Flyer train was funded by Middleton Township and Rotary Middleton, and created by DDH Fabricators, Lee O'Mara and Julian Howarth.

The boatman, named by Davina Unsworth as a fitting tribute to suggestions for naming a boat after Middleton soldiers, Lee Rigby and Joel Halliwell, was installed in June, to enhance the entrance of Rhodes Lodges.

North West in Bloom, run by the RHS, has been celebrating the success of communities since 1964 and aims to encourage local communities to improve and care for their local environment. They promote imaginative planting schemes, landscaping, conservation and recycling projects, and clean-up projects for litter and graffiti.

Judges award points based on three main criteria: horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation.