Littlehampton’s platform for gardening talent

Commuters and other passengers have been enjoying the blaze of colour around the station all summer long, and now, for the second year running, it has been named winner of the best commercial category, again receiving the Companions Challenge Cup.

Schools, pubs, businesses, private front, back and patio gardens and well-tended allotment plots were assessed by the judges as, accompanied by town mayor Emma Neno, they toured the town in a chauffeur-driven limousine provided by F. A. Holland & Son.

En route, they encountered not only superb displays of colour and creativity, but also some of the rain that, together with other poor conditions earlier in the summer, made this year such a challenging one for gardeners.

But the judges – John Stevens, of Ockendens, Mark Everson, past organiser of Arun in Bloom, Alan Humphrey Town Show manager and Mike Broomfield, president of Littlehampton, recognised the hard work and ingenuity of everyone as they adapted to the conditions and reaped the reward of beautiful floral displays and bumper vegetable crops.

Chairman of the town council allotments committee, Alan Gammon, said: “All entries and subsequent winners helped to show Littlehampton blooming at its best, and underlined the vigour of our many allotment holders.”

For the seventh year running, Michael Merridue, of Grand Avenue, Wick, won the Ernest Hayes Cup for best patio garden, and he also received the Preascott Cup for best front garden.

Mr Durham, of Grand Avenue, was named best new entrant and another newcomer, C. Carpenter, of Elspring Mead, Wick, won the best kitchen garden category. River Beach Primary School was named best junior/infant school.

The Allotment Holders’ Cup was awarded to Mr Smart, of Worthing Road Allotments, for the best plot and he also received the Liz Brett and Bill Mason Commemorative Cup for best allotment crop. Barry McGuirk, of Worthing Road Allotments, won the best new allotment category.

The prize for the tallest sunflower was awarded to Sharna Boyd, six who grew an impressive 4ft tall plant. Certificates of commendation for slightly smaller sunflowers went to the railway station and C. Carpenter, of Elspring Mead.

The cups, certificates and vouchers from sponsors Fairhaven Nurseries were presented at an awards ceremony in the New Millennium Chamber of the Manor House, Church Street.

Other awards included: patio garden category runner-up, Celia Thomson, Ahead to Toe, East Street; front garden runner-up, Barbara Croft, third place, Joe Costa, Selwyn Avenue, Wick; back garden runner-up, Joe Costa, third place , C. Carpenter. Commercial runner-up, The Vardar, Selbo, third place, Barclays Bank, High Street; communal garden runner-up, Winterton Lodge residents, third place, Norfolk Gardens East; best allotment runner-up, Mark Chittenden, Fort Road Allotments.

Other sponsors of this year’s competition were Towing Spare and F. A. Holland & Son. Fairhaven Plants also sponsored the best infant/junior school category.