Holbeach has won its category in the CPRE Best Kept Village and Small Town competition 2014.
After three rounds of voting, Holbeach just pipped Crowland to the title of best market town with fewer than 7,000 residents.
It’s Holbeach’s first win for 17 years and has sparked celebrations among the hard-working Holbeach In Bloom committee, which comprises parish councillors, parish council staff and other volunteers.
For the 20 members it’s more or less a year-round effort to keep the town looking as nice as possible.
Chairman and parish councillor Graham Rudkin insisted it was this team effort which had brought the result.
“It’s just reward for the hard work everyone has put in,” he said. “There is a lot of time put in to keeping the town pristine and I’m really pleased for everyone.”
Preparation of the hanging baskets begins towards the end of March each year and this year there were more than ever – about 120. All the flowers are grown from plugs.
Pansies will be planted in early October.
The cost of preparations to enter the competition is around £5,000, which is funded by the parish council and donations from Holbeach firms including Taylors Bulbs, Ashley King Developments, D Brown Building Contractors and White Steel Buildings.
Coun Rudkin said: “If we hadn’t got the help of these firms we wouldn’t be able to do it.
“We’re really very grateful to them.”
He also acknowledged the help of Holbeach district councillors Martin Howard, Rita Rudkin and Francis Biggadike, and Holbeach county councillor Nick Worth.
Unlike the East Midlands In Bloom competition, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England competition judges arrive unannounced.
CPRE county secretary Stamford Marthews said: “The competition has been keenly fought and the marks scored this year have been amongst the highest ever scored.”
Holbeach has won its class six times before – 1963, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1975 and 1997 – and has also come second six times and third once.
