Owen Paterson digs for votes with Shropshire bloom group
Owen Paterson was looking to cultivate votes at the launch of a Britain in Bloom effort.
He helped a village gardening group unveil an honours board while it gets ready to go head to head with villages around the country.
The Norton in Bloom group, based in Norton-in-Hales near Market Drayton, has won awards in the Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom awards for three consecutive years and will now go against other winners in the Champion of Champions category. Conservative parliamentary candidate Owen Paterson hopes he can replicate that success come May 7.
And, complete with blue rosette, he was on hand to unveil the honours board at The Hinds Head Inn in the village.
Nigel Passmore, of Norton in Bloom said: "Britain in Bloom awards are presented to communities who display excellence in their horticultural achievements, environmental commitment and community involvement throughout the year.
"This year, Norton's theme is Greener for Life and many new initiatives are ongoing and planned to demonstrate its commitment to impressing the judges who will visit the village in August."
The board, which was donated by the pub, shows all the wins the group has achieved and has plenty of room to add its future successes.
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