It’s judgement day for village as contest excitement blossoms
Villagers are full of excitement as they prepare for a visit from Northumbria in Bloom judges for the first time in two years.
Washington Village will be looking to retain the title of Northumbria in Bloom Best Village won in 2019, when judges visit the town today.
Volunteers at the Washington Village in Bloom group have been working flat out all summer to make sure the village is in perfect condition for the judges, with the competition bringing out some much-needed community spirit in the wake of the pandemic.
Preparing for the competition has lifted morale and brought members of the community together, according to Washington Village in Bloom Chair, Joan Atkinson.
She said: “The whole village is buzzing ahead of the judges visit. We’ve been right in the thick of it working every day the last two weeks to try and make sure everything is perfect. We’ve had volunteers young and old and the teamwork has been phenomenal.
“We’ve had so much help from the entire community. It’s been great to see people of all ages getting involved and coming together.”
After being named Best Village in 2019, Washington Village was placed into the 2020 Britain in Bloom to compete against villages across the country, but the competition has been postponed until next year due to the pandemic.
A win in this year's competition would provide a huge boost to Washington Village, especially after a difficult year.
Joan added: “Everyone is excited and anxious. The lift for the area if we won would just be amazing, especially after the last year we’ve had.”
Earlier this year, members of Washington Village in Bloom recreated the town in the form of bird boxes.
The Northumbria in Bloom competition has a long history, launching in 1964, covering areas from Berwick in the north to Cleveland in the south and spanning west to Greenhead.
Judges will be looking for evidence of horticulture knowledge skills and practice, environmental maintenance and community engagement.
Results will be announced in September.