Event – Page 5 – Otley in Bloom

Litter heroes wanted

Otley in Bloom members will be taking part in the national Great British Spring Clean to get half a million people out and about cleaning up their local communities in March 2017.

Friday 3rd March at 11am – The campaign will be launched by the Town Mayor Cllr Ian jackson and Keep Britain Tidy’s Tidyman at the Maypole, Manchester Square, followed by a town centre litterpick and refreshments for volunteers at the Council’s Orchard Gate offices at 1pm.

Saturday 4th March at 10am – Cllr Linda Hoare will lead another litter pick, starting at the Maypole in Manchester Square.

Sunday 5th March at 10am to 12noon – Cllr Ray Georgeson will lead a family session at Gallows Hill nature reserve – meet at the car park.

Volunteers are asked to email admin@otleytowncouncil.gov.uk or call into the Council’s office in Orchard Gate to confirm they’d like to take part. Litter-pickers will be provided, but please bring your own gloves. Only people pre-registering will be allowed to participate to control numbers and ensure health and safety.

Christmas Tree Festival

Otley in Bloom have decorated a Christmas tree with giant pompom bumblebees, to symbolise the importance of bee-friendly planting in our gardens, and because it was fun making them. The Christmas tree is on display as part of the Otley Christmas Tree Festival at Otley Parish Church on Saturday 10th Dec from 10am to 6pm, and Sunday 11th Dec from 11am-4pm. For more information see the festival website.

Allotment tidying with tea and cake

Our allotment, where we save plants when they are no longer needed in planters, and grow them on to use again, was getting a bit disorganised and overgrown, so we tidied it up and gave the plants some fresh compost. Also we tidied the shed and got rid of some unnecessary clutter. And to celebrate getting all that done, and to give ourselves a Summer treat, and because it was nearly somebody’s birthday, we had tea and cakes.

Yorkshire in Bloom summer judging

This year’s Yorkshire in Bloom Summer Judging will take place on the morning of Tuesday 12th July. This year we didn’t have a Spring Judging due to the winter floods, so this is our only chance this year to impress the judges, and if we do really well maybe we might get our third Gold award.

We will be cleaning up and improving our planters and flower displays over the next week. If you have any floral displays outside your house or business it would help us if you would make sure they are looking their best, no weeds, no dead flowers, well watered and litter-free. We will be tidying up around Otley on Sunday morning and Monday evening.

Willow bicycles

Three willow bicycles, with riders, have been installed at the Fire Station, just in time for the Tour de Yorkshire tomorrow. They are made by Dragon Willow, and are the result of a collaboration between Otley in Bloom, Otley Fire and Rescue, Otley Lions and Dragon Willow, celebrating Lizzie Armitstead, the reigning World, Commonwealth and National road race champion.

Enjoy the races tomorrow!