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 The
summer of 2003 proved one of the best for Falkland in Bloom, for it is no
exaggeration to say that the village had never looked better, with the
superb summer weather ensuring the floral displays were the finest ever.
Considerably more baskets, tended by teams of volunteers manning our
tractor-driven watering system, helped add to the look of the village and
made an impact for all visitors coming to see what Falkland has to offer. |
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Although the main aim of Falkland In Bloom is
simply to make an already attractive community even better, entry in a whole
series of competitions has followed almost inevitably and our success in
recent years has been very pleasing. Judges visited the village in numbers
during June, July and August and found much to their liking, it seems, when
Falkland was declared best in its category in the local East Fife and Fife
Wide areas. Judges acting on behalf of Scotland in Bloom also marked us
highly and at the national presentations in Aberdeen on 17th. September, we
found that we had retained our title of Best Large Village before
discovering that we had also been declared best village of any size in
Scotland ….. and then, that we had had been awarded the
trophy to recognise our Horticultural Excellence! Certainly our most
successful season ever!
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 For
the first time the village also found itself in Britain in Bloom
after winning Best Large Village in Scotland in 2002. Two judges from
London and the Channel Islands arrived on a splendid day in August to
examine the village on the criteria set by the Royal Horticultural Society,
including community involvement and a whole range of matters in addition to
floral displays. After marks are allotted, a range of awards, from
bronze through to gold, are then decided. We certainly believed we could not
have improved on the impression made that day, but marking is very strict
and we then faced the long wait until the end of September to discover the
outcome. The results announced in the magnificent surroundings of the London
Guildhall, with presentations made by television presenter Monty Don of
Gardeners’ World, saw us receive a commendable Silver Award. The
icing on the cake, however, was to be presented with the Floral Award in
the Special Awards category for the best quality displays in the whole
of the U.K. and a great tribute to Bob and Jean Maxwell! The visit to London
was a memorable experience for the Falkland representatives … and the first
ever trip in an aeroplane or a tube train for Bob and Jean!! |
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Whilst
winning awards is not our main aim it is certainly pleasing and we are
always greatly encouraged by the residents and visitors who show their
appreciation of the efforts made each year. |
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