Growing places

ROYSTON is getting ready to bloom.

Volunteers from the Royston in Bloom committee and the Royston Time Bank have been working over the past months in a cleaning-up operation.

And hanging baskets have now been put in place in the High Street, Royston and around The Cross.

All the work is aimed at achieving success in this year's Anglia in Bloom competition.

Royston has won three times in the past, but did not enter the competition last year when it was decided that the area did not meet the quality expected from the judges.

"We're in the competition this year, and I hope we will be coming back with a vengeance," said Royston's mayor Councillor Peter Lill on Monday when he made a tour of the hanging baskets.

"It's an important competition to us as a whole and is one of those that really sees the community working together," he said.

One clean up has been carried out at the Coombes Community Centre in Burns Road, where new beds have been put in place as well as tree-planting.

"We want to show that everyone is involved and impress on the judges that this is a community effort," added Cllr Lill.

Councillor Bill Prime, one of Royston Town Council's representatives on the Royston in Bloom committee, said he was "absolutely delighted" with the help the committee has received from the community this year.

"Everyone has worked so hard to make sure we are ready for the Anglia in Bloom competition," he said. "The volunteers we have had have done everything we asked them to do."

Judges from Anglia in Bloom will be examining the town on July 16.

Meanwhile, there is still time to enter the Royston in Bloom competition, which is open to the whole community.

The judging for the Royston in Bloom competition will be taking place on June 25-26 and the closing day for entries is Friday, June 22.