Shropshire chosen for Heart of England in Bloom awards ceremony

About 300 delegates competing for floral glory from across the region will descend on Ludlow in the autumn to learn how they have done in the annual competition.

Towns, villages, hotels and pubs in the central region compete every year in a range of categories judged on the quality of floral displays to community involvement with taking pride in their surroundings.

Ludlow has good credentials to play host for the final ceremony, having won gold in the competition 11 times out of the 13 years it has entered. It is hoped the awards will be presented at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, but a date has yet to be fixed.

Vivienne Parry, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow South and long-time chairman of the Ludlow In Bloom committee, said it was a great honour for the town and south Shropshire.

She said Ludlow Town Council had formally resolved to agree to the idea at a meeting on Monday evening.

She said: "We were very, very pleased when we heard. With us being a small town we though we might be asked to do the Heart of England in Bloom spring or autumn fete, but not the main awards ceremony.

"It really means something for the town.

"I want to see if we can arrange some walks around the town for the delegates and I'm talking to Ludlow tour operators about that.

"You never know, it may bring the delegates back with their families or they may tell their friends about Ludlow - it will help draw in tourism.

"We're really chuffed about it.

"We just need to sort out where they are going to park and if they will need buses and so on."

Gina Wilding, clerk of Ludlow Town Council added: "It will be in September, but we're just about to talk to the Ludlow Assembly Rooms to see if can set a date.

"The judges usually visit Ludlow some time in early July.

"The ceremony will take place in the morning and then we're seeing if we can sort out tours of the town for the afternoon."

Ludlow bagged its 11th gold in the town section of the In Bloom awards in 2015, along with Bridgnorth.

Other notable successes included Shrewsbury BID winning both a gold and category award, despite being its first year entering the competition, while Oswestry struck gold in the large town category.

Shropshire pubs celebrating wins included the Old Castle Inn in Bridgnorth and the Charlton Arms in Ludlow.