THE organisers of Great Yarmouth and Gorleston in Bloom welcomed judGes from the Anglia in Bloom competition for a tour of the town this week.

Judges Eileen Ward and Bob Ollier were given a formal welcome by Yarmouth in Bloom organiser Sue Hacon and Mayor Barry Coleman in the Mayor’s Parlour at the Town Hall on Tuesday.

Mr Coleman spoke of how important the Yarmouth In Bloom competition was, not just in decking the borough with flowers, but also of creating a “feelgood” factor within the community, especially when people receive prizes in the different catedgories

He said: “It is the best value-for-money enterprise we have been involved in as a borough for the last 10 years. The presentations are a delight. We give certificates out and people are really pleased with what they have achieved. I think the whole scheme is superb. It is a brilliant way of getting communities together.”

Mrs Hacon, who is also a borough councillor, said: “Our aim is to bring the standard of this town up, not just in flower contributions, but what we do with communities.”

Alan Carr, chief of Yarmouth Tourist Authority, introduced a slideshow showing how some of the grottier parts of the town had been regenerated.

Following the preseantations, the judges were taken on a tour around the town.

Anglia in Bloom judges Hazel Law and Bob Hardwick visited displays in Filby, braving rain to compliment the displays.

Mrs Law said: “The village is looking absolutely glorious and it is a credit to all the hard work of the volunteers.”

The judges will have completed their work across the region by Monday and the winners in various categories will be announced on September 13 in Colchester.

Filby has many Anglia in Bloom victories over the past decade and has even been crowned a winner in Britain in Bloom.