Following the success of Marlborough in Bloom as reported in last week’s Gazette & Herald, I would like to publicly record my thanks to all those who worked so hard to achieve this welcome but totally unexpected success.

My thanks must go to the committee under the able chairmanship of Mrs Alison Galvin-Wright, the outdoor staff at the town council under the leadership of Mr Richard Beale, the many shops, businesses and individuals who made such a great effort to make Marlborough so attractive and the Town Clerk Mrs Shelly Parker, who co-ordinated the whole thing.

So many people joined in the spirit of the competition.

Assistants in retail premises bought hanging baskets or put tubs outside their shops. Balfour Beatty sent a team of men to help clear pavements of weeds and the street cleaner came in at six o’clock on the morning of the judging to make sure all litter was cleared before the judging commenced. A team of councillors and residents met a few days before and split into two teams, one to dead-head rose bushes and dig up weeds in the Priory while another team pulled up any stray weeds in the High Street and washed telephone boxes and road signs.

It was truly a team effort so thank you one and all.

Marian Hannaford-Dobson, Mayor of Marlborough.