GREEN-fingered winners were commended for their bloomin’ good work at the awards evening for Alton’s annual In Bloom competition, held in the Assembly Rooms last Friday.

Town mayor Matthew Bayliss said he was delighted to award all of the entrants with certificates as well as trophies to winners in each category.

Councillor Bisi Eni-Olotu, chairman of the community and events committee, was host for the ceremony.

Alton In Bloom is the town’s annual competition where local residents, community groups, businesses and neighbourhoods are recognised for the hard work and time they dedicate to making Alton bloom each year.

Mr Bayliss said:?“I would like to thank all of this year’s volunteer judges and the special panel of community adjudicators that have spent many hours marking all of the town’s entries and choosing the winners from each category.

“I would also like to thank each and every entrant, whose hard work and time goes into making Alton Bloom whether it be with their homes, businesses, schools, community buildings or key areas around the town centre.”

The 2016 winners

Residential Categories

Best Small Front Garden - Alton Horticultural Society Cup: Robert Lambert; Best Larger Front Garden - Town & Country Cars Cup: Martin West; Best Domestic Patio, Window Box, or Tub - Garthowen Cup: Elaine Holton; Best Planted Unusual Container - Clarke Trophy: Elaine Holton

Community Categories

Best Community Group or Neighbourhood Area - Pritchards Garage Salver: Gilmour Gardens, Alton; Best Community Building - Communiweb Learn Direct Cup: Allen Gallery.

Commercial Category

Best Commercial Premises - Mid Hants Cup: Bookers & Bolton Solicitors.

Schools Categories

Best Pre-School Children’s Garden - Pam Jones Trophy: Happy Talk; Best School Children’s Garden - Pam Jones Cup: Alton Infant School.

Alton Horticultural Society Categories

Alton Town Council is “very grateful” to the Alton Horticultural Society for co-ordinating the Scarecrow and Tallest Sunflower competitions, and thanked Janice Mayhew and Bob Kell who helped to present the certificates and awards.

Best Scarecrow – Individual: Summer Blanchard; Best Scarecrow – Group: Little Den Playgroup. Tallest Sunflower - Child: Charlotte (7) and Jessica (4) Goulton – 11ft; Young at Heart: Martin West - 10ft 11ins; Overall Winner: Charlotte and Jessica Goulton – 11ft

New Annual Special Category Award

Alton Town Council Community & Events Committee have introduced a new Special Annual Award, this year’s was in honour of the Queen’s 90th Birthday.

Tribute to the Queen’s 90th Birthday winner: Happy Talk Nursery

Alton Allotment Awards

The town is lucky to have five allotment sites which are owned and managed by Alton Town Council with the help and support of the Alton Allotment Association.

Best Kept Allotment Award: Hawthorn Allotments

Individual awards

* The Vokes-Oakley Trophy for the Holybourne resident with the highest score in this year’s In Bloom competition: Robert Lambert of Complins.

* The Norman Pointing Trophy for the best individual entrant in Alton: Martin West, Gilmour Gardens.

* The John Smith Trophy for Outstanding Contribution to the In Bloom Effort: The Alton Women’s Institute. Awarded for working “incredibly hard” to transform a very unloved and empty area of Alton, vastly improving the lower entrance to the town’s High Street, making it “much more inviting for visitors and residents alike”.

* The Alton Society, Tidy Alton Trophy awarded to the organisation, or individual who contributes to the keeping Alton tidy: The 8th Alton Scouts - a keen group of eager young volunteers who are “always the first to offer their services to assist other organisations and community groups in the town”. The group help the Alton Society with the river clearing and maintenance in Flood Meadows, and have also assisted the town council on many of occasions helping to ‘tidy up’ Alton’s Open Spaces.

* The Joan Richardson Memorial Trophy - Unsung Hero of In Bloom: Martin Gibbs, Alton Society for his many hours of hard work and time that he dedicates to the maintenance and improvement of Flood Meadows as part of his work with the Alton Society.