The 2004 Season...

With the summer season ended, we can look back on visits from judging groups with some satisfaction. After being declared yet again, winners of our category in the East Fife and Fife Wide competitions organised by Fife Council, we awaited results to be announced by the Scottish and U.K. Bloom groups.

The Scotland in Bloom awards presentations were hosted in some style By Fife Council this year and although Falkland received an award for "Continuous High Standards", it was difficult not to experience some disappointment on hearing that Melrose had narrowly beaten us to the title of Best Large Village!

Our journey to the Leeds Armoury the following week was a bit more encouraging, however, as we raised the 2003 standard from Silver, to Silver Gilt, as well as receiving the Britain in Bloom Tourism Award for "demonstrating outstanding effort to promote tourism." In addition, everyone in Falkland was delighted when Bob and Jean Maxwell received recognition for the huge amount of work they undertake by receiving the Britain in Bloom Commendation Award for their dedication of so much time to its cause.

We felt most encouraged after meeting the judges Sue Rodriguez and Jim Buttress to hear their report. Speaking most positively about the efforts undertaken by the community, they revealed we had come second in a very keenly contested section and were only a short distance away from the prestigious Gold Standard.

Despite very indifferent summer weather with much heavy rain and gale-force wind, Falkland could not have looked better this year and it is a little ironic that we are unlikely to be representing Scotland in the Large Village category in 2005 since Melrose is now considered the best in that category.

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