Oldham scoops coveted bloom title

WOOL done: the town centre display

OLDHAM’S blooming marvellous floral displays have scooped the top prize at a national competition — despite vandals ripping up the town-centre showpiece days before judges arrived.

The parks team worked round the clock to get the display back to its best after flower beds were uprooted and eyecatching balls of wool — which represent communities knitting together — destroyed.

But the hard work paid off when the Royal Horticultural Society gave Oldham gold in the Best City category at the 50th Britain in Bloom awards in Bristol last night.

Judges Roger Burnett and Jim Buttress said: “Oldham has got to be the entry others aspire to. No stone has been left unturned in striving to achieve horticultural excellence — a superb example of what can be achieved in these challenging economic times.”

Judges took in displays in Lydgate, Uppermill, Dobcross, Delph, Grains Road (Bishops Park), Sholver, Heyside and Turf Lane, Royton (Shaw Road) before finally going into Oldham town centre.

The town-centre showpiece will now be transformed into a Halloween spectacular, followed by a winter wonderland theme which will eventually include the Nativity.

Councillor Barbara Brownridge said: “To win Best City is a real honour and shows our entry has been warmly welcomed by not only the whole community but also the RHS judges.”

Oldham last won Britain in Bloom in 2012 and was selected to enter the 2014 awards after winning the Best City category at North-West in Bloom last October.

The borough now has to wait and see if it has won the Best City category in North-West in Bloom. The results will be announced on October 24 in Southport.