Posts Tagged ‘flower power’
National flower power hopes wilt after Bath bloom defeat
The organiser of the city’s Britain in Bloom efforts has spoken of his disappointment after Bath again missed out on the chance to represent the west this year.
Bath pitted itself against other towns and cities in the South West in the competition which encourages people to show their pride in their community through colourful floral displays.
Judges were taken on a tour of the city’s most attractive parts in June - but in what local organisers call “monsoon conditions.”
Last week Bath was awarded a silver gilt runners-up place for its efforts in the contest.
It missed out on first place to Taunton for the third year running, with the Somerset county town now representing the region in the national final.
The co-ordinator for the city’s Britain in Bloom efforts, Barry Cruse, said extra work had been put in across the district to give Bath a better chance of winning.
The city has been a frequent national winner in the past.
Mr Cruse said he was disappointed with the outcome and shocked the city had missed out on gold.
He said: “I was absolutely stunned and devastated we got silver.
“In my book I judged Bath to be a gold winner. I just feel sorry for everyone who has put in such a major effort this year.
“I will be pushing to find out where we went wrong.”
Mr Cruse said he thought the weather on the day of the judges’ visit may have affected the result.
He said: “On the day of the judging, it was monsoon conditions. We were watching flower displays being washed away in front of our eyes.
“I would like to think judges took that into account but it must have been very difficult to come to a rational decision in those conditions.”
But despite missing out overall in what is Europe’s largest gardening contest, the city received an award for the King Bladud Pigs public arts project, which has seen more than 100 model pigs installed on the streets.
The discretionary award was presented to the city at the award ceremony in Plymouth.
The accolade follows the creation of a planted floral pig at Parade Gardens and a topiary-style pig at Wellsway.
Mr Cruse said: “This was great for everyone concerned with the pigs and is a great credit to the city.”
Libs reach for flower power in tourism drive
The Liberals have pledged $10 million on upgrading Commonwealth Park to become the permanent home of Floriade.
Tourism groups have welcomed the announcement but Labor has dismissed the idea as a rehash of old Liberal policy.
The Liberals also want to launch a Canberra arts biennale in 2010 to ramp up summer tourism, and build a new National Convention Centre.
The Liberals’ tourism push came on the same day ACT Tourism, Sport and Recreation Minister Andrew Barr detailed Government plans for the $8 million Labor set aside for a promised dragway at Majura that never eventuated.
If re-elected, Labor would spend up to $3.5 million to refurbish the Fairbairn Motorsport Park and ”possibly” develop Kowen Forest race course and the speedway.
Labor would also offer $3.8 million in funding for local motorsport organisations.
Shadow tourism minister Brendan Smyth said the Liberals would bring back the statutory Canberra Tourism Authority to regulate and handle tourism in the capital.
The party would also spend $1 million over the next two years to develop a biennale art event.
Mr Smyth said there were art-works gathering dust at national institutions which could be brought out for the event.
”[Let's] give Canberra a significant summer event when attendances are down and occupancy is down,” he said.
Labor has already pledged $5million for a major tourist event but wants to run it in autumn in conjunction with the National Folk Festival and Wine Harvest Festival.
Mr Smyth said the Liberals would negotiate with the Federal Government to gain permanent access to Commonwealth Park.
”Floriade needs a permanent home, we need to stop this argy-bargy and we all know that Floriade is Commonwealth Park.
Mr Barr said the Opposition was simply heating up a 10-year-old Liberal policy to upgrade Commonwealth Park.
He also rubbished the plan to resurrect Canberra’s tourism authority, saying the Labor Government had saved $1million by abolishing the body.
”If the Liberal Party believes their first priority in tourism is to invest $1million back into a bureaucracy, I think they’re crazy. They’ve missed the point.”
But ACT Tourism Industry Council executive director Joseph Griffiths was supportive of the Liberals’ policy.
Mr Griffiths said the idea of a big summer tourit event was ”brilliant”.