SSIB Volunteers and Residents Pull out the Stops to prepare for BIB Judging Day.

This year Britain in Bloom judging day for Stony Stratford was July 10th Stony Stratford in Bloom (SSIB) volunteers worked flat out to make the town as beautiful as it could possibly be. Normally we have two work parties a week to maintain the perennial beds around the town, and in addition, little groups and individuals often ‘adopt a planter’, which they dead-head and check, or care for an area of the town near to where they live. Now it’s three work parties a week to make sure that no dandelion or chickweed is allowed to show its face as the judges peer down!

And on Saturday residents joined the usual gang of SSIB volunteers for a Community Tidy Day.

At 10am one group met at York House car park, another at the North end of the town; and then, equipped with brushes, trowels, sponges and bin bags, groups peeled off to cover all the main roads through which the judges will pass. By 1am we had a large pile of bin bags filled with gutter-weeds and rubbish heaped at York House, and Stony Stratford was looking all the better for our efforts.

What made it all worthwhile was the support we received from passers-by and residents. One kind lady came out to supply us with tea and coffee, and a number of people took the trouble to stop and tell us how much they appreciate what the Stony in Bloom group does.

Earlier in the week pupils on the St Mary and St Giles School Council had proudly handed over a cheque of £93.50 which they’d collected from sunflower planting packs they’d organised and sold to fellow students. (Picture) These are now growing in the school garden and in beds along the streets of the town. Greener Streets: Better Lives is the RHS theme this year, and SSIB volunteers were particularly touched by this show of support by the children.