A summer evening - a packed hall - Jeff Bates.
In spite of the lovely evening when the audience would rather have been in the garden, they were there for Jeff, who would also rather have been in his garden!
Jeff’s enthusiasm for plants is boundless and he enthuses those he meets. On this occasion he was speaking about ”Britain in Bloom” for which he is currently a judge, and very committed. There are 18 regions within Great Britain and he judges the East Midlands. He is chairman and also secretary for the region. “Britain in Bloom” is the largest gardening campaign in Europe and has been going for more than 40 years. For the last 6 years it has been run by the Royal Horticultural Society.
There are many categories ranging from village and town and city to the latest category of neighbourhood. You need to win in your category to go forward to the main “Britain in Bloom” final. The idea is to improve where you are and the focus is on horticulture, environment, sustainability and community.
Having told the meeting about the competition Jeff showed a selection of remarkable slides to illustrate “Britain in Bloom”.
