The First Day of Judging

Today was the first day of Judging for Heywood in Bloom, and Iain Donaldson, Isla Witherington and Myra Moncaster were joined by colleagues from Rochdale Council to escort the Judges John Shepley and Kath Mitchell around Heywood.

The Judges, The Team from Heywood in Bloom, the Friends of Queen's Park and the staff from Rochdale Council at Queen's Park at the start of the day.

Queen's Park

We started at Queens Park, where Ellen Yates who chairs the friends group led us on a tour of the excellent facilities and features of the park and told us about the work of their volunteers.

From the formal Victorian planting at the front of the park to the native woodland and the lakes, the natural features of this area have been used to create a fabulous natural reserve and recreational facility for local people and wildlife.

The team from Rochdale's Environmental Management services also briefed us on how they are making their management of our parks and open spaces more environmentally friendly by growing the plants in their local nursery, using peat free compost and reducing chemicals in pest control.

They also told us about their programme of working towards a fully electric fleet, planting more meadow grass, switching to sustainable planting, and their proactive management of Ash dieback and 2 for 1 tree replacement where felling is necessary.

The Picture Frame

We then moved on via High Street where the Council have hung a splendid display of planters, and maintain the open spaces along the street to a high standard.

From there we moved on to, to the Picture Frame at Pilsworth Road. Regular readers will know the work the Heywood in Bloom team do at this fabulous installation. We were also able to let the judges know that our partners at the Culture Co-op will be installing a montage on the wall at the back.

The Beekeeper at Heywood Distribution Park is one of many valuable assets we were shown when we visited as a part of Heywood in Bloom.

The Heywood Distribution Park

From there we went to the Heywood Distribution Park which is owned by Indurent, where Estate manager, Paul Bullock, and his team took us on a tour of their incredible facilities.

The pride the staff have in this 200 acre site was palpable as we went from the site office past many of the 62 units to visit some of the finest landscaping you will find on any site of its kind in the world. We can say in the world because they have won awards that prove it.

First we visited their beehives and met the Beekeeper who told us the history of the beekeeping on the site.

We then moved on to see their ponds where staff and visitors congregate for lunch or to use their outdoor gym.

From there we went to see wildflower beds and bug houses used to encourage wildlife into the site along safe paths for staff to walk along, and fruit orchards surrounding wildflower meadows that attract in the bees.

Finally we saw their roundabout with its wildlife pond, and its waterfall.

They have created a fantastic natural environment for their workforce and visitors, making this a great place to spend the working day.

The Judges discussing the Tree Top café at Hopwood Park with the Chair of the Friends of Hopwood Park and the Chair of Heywood in Bloom.

Hopwood Park

Our next port of call was Hopwood Park and the Tree House Café.

The café was developed from an old bus shelter, and with both indoor seating, and an outdoor terrace overlooking the bowling green, which is very popular in the area and often in use. There is also a small area downstairs when you can sip your tea and watch the bowls.

The café now provided a real hub for the local community. They hold charity events and a monthly gardener's brew, giving older residents who have gardening expertise the opportunity to share their knowledge with novice gardeners in a friendly informal environment.

Profits from the café are reinvested into the park, and help the friends to maintain activity and facilities all year round.

Alongside the bowling green sits the cabin, and picnic area, which opens on busier warm days to provide ice-cream and drinks to thirsty parkgoers. From here you can look down across the park at the activity areas, which include the large field which over the weekend before judging hosted a family fun weekend with fairground rides and dirigibles, and the day before the judging was hosting a fun day for the local school.

There are also play equipment including a zip wire, which is disabled accessible, a small BMX track, a hard-surface games area for basket ball and other games, and a small fenced area with play equipment for younger children.

Across the park are the community orchard, a large pond (fenced off to keep children safe, and an areas where people run their dogs. This park is a fantastic haven in the Hopwood area of Heywood, and provides a hub for local people of all ages.

The Town Centre

There is a lot of planting in Heywood Town Centre, and we are proud of the work that Heywood in Bloom, the local Council, and many local voluntary organisations do to keep the town active and vibrant.

The work we have done this year has been very worthwhile.

We also explained the plans for the Civic Centre and the role Heywood In Bloom will play in the planting, and pointed out the images created by the Culture Co-op and chosen by local people that are currently displayed on the hoardings.

The planting around St Luke's is carefully planned to set off this iconic church at the heart of our town, and we we explained our movement to more sustainable planting and both in our planters as well as in our beds.

The Memorial Gardens

The Memorial Gardens provide a real haven of peace for local people, and the newly refurbished Library is a well used local facility.

We were able to explain the role the gardens play in the lives of local people, all year round.