Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Village at its blooming best
Plains is coming up roses as green- fingered village residents have rolled out the barrels for two environmental competitions.
Judges from Plains Community Futures are currently visiting entrants to their Bonnie Barrels contest, asking residents to create a riot of colour in the wooden planters around the village.
First put in place last summer, the whisky barrels donated by Inver House Distillery were cut in half to hold flowers and shrubs.
A “wee bonnie barrels” contest has been running for children to mark the year of young people.
Winners are due to be announced this weekend, with prizes being provided by sponsors Muirhall Energy and Inver House. There will be silverware and malt whisky for the adult contest, while the young winners will receive vouchers from the residents’ group.
Plains Community Futures chair George McCutcheon said: “It’s fantastic that residents have got behind this idea.
“We’re also very lucky to have Inver House Distillery and Muirhall Energy as willing sponsors and local councillors Alan Beveridge, Tommy Morgan and David Cullen have assisted behind the scenes.”
The Plains group recently hosted judges from the Beautiful Scotland competition, run by Keep Scotland Beautiful. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in East Lothian next month.
George said: “We’re delighted with the support we’ve been given from local residents, groups, St Philip’s School, North Lanarkshire Council and various other organisations.
“There are so many positive comments and we hope the judges will recognise the work of all the community groups in Plains.”