Community spirit was very much in evidence on Thursday when judges from South and South East in Bloom came to see Farnham in Bloom’s entry into the Town Centre category. The judges enjoyed a 90-minute tour of the town centre and visited Victoria Garden, Borelli Walk, Gostrey Meadow and St Andrew’s School. They saw the town’s floral displays as well as fantastic art murals and scarecrows designed by local schools. The scarecrows and art murals can be seen on display in empty shops in East Street. Councillor Stephen Hill, Lead Member for Farnham in Bloom said: “To help them assess our entry, the judges were looking for examples of horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation. “I was really proud of the number of examples of community participation that we were able to show. Along the judging route, we paused to see 150 children from The Dance Movement taking part in a dance performance called Farnham Blooming. The dance was themed around the ‘Green Man’, which is often interpreted as a symbol that represents the cycle of growth. The children were a delight to watch and wore some amazing handmade costumes which represented roots, bees, dragonflies, flowers and other symbols of nature. “I would also like to give a special mention to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association UK from Tilford. They kindly arranged a town centre litter pick on the night before the judging. Finally, my thanks go to all the sponsors of Farnham in Bloom and in particular our corporate sponsor, BBS Ltd. Many hanging baskets and flower containers across Farnham are sponsored and I think that, when you take a look at the displays and sponsors’ plaques, you cannot fail to be impressed by the number of people who support this initiative.” The River Wey is a beautiful feature of Farnham and so Farnham Town Council was pleased to introduce the judges to members of the Farnham Rivers Group. A member of the Group explained their role within Farnham in Bloom and the wider community which includes monitoring invasive species, recording river quality, riverbank repairs and aiding the creation of fish habitats. Judges from South and South East in Bloom will return to Farnham on Thursday 21 July for the judging of the Large Town category. They will be followed by the Britain in Bloom judges who arrive on Tuesday 2 August. Anybody who is interested in finding out more about Farnham’s entries into South and South East in Bloom and Britain in Bloom can watch a specially made video that that was shown to the judges and see the briefing notes provided for them. The results of Farnham in Bloom will be announced in September. Farnham in Bloom is sponsored by: • Corporate sponsor: BBS Ltd • Gold sponsors: The Patio Black Spot Removal Company Ltd, Graduate Landscapes, Forest Lodge and Squire’s Garden Centre • Silver sponsor: Bourne Valley Contractors