Category: Event

Ilkley Road gateway opened

Ilkley Road gateway

A stunning looking stone cyclist has started greeting motorists as they enter Otley from the Ilkley direction.  It is the centrepiece of a new dry stone wall gateway that has been installed beside the A660, near the turn-off for Wharfebank Business Centre.  It was officially opened in February by Otley’s Town Mayor, councillor Nigel Gill.

The feature is the latest in a series of gateways that Otley in Bloom have been positioning on routes into town.  Others are on Pool Road, Leeds Road and Bradford Road, near Ellar Ghyll.  More gateways are planned for the future.

It was made by dry stone waller Gordon Simpson, who said  “It’s a nod to the Tour de France, which came past this very spot, and Otley’s very long tradition of cycling.  And having the wheels made out of millstones was a way of referencing Yorkshire. It took about three weeks to make. We actually built the wall at home in two pieces and then transported it.”

Otley in Bloom’s Christmas tree

Otley in Bloom’s Christmas tree was on display in the Parish Church, along with 39 others, as part of this year’s Christmas Tree Festival.  We decided on a Gold theme this year to celebrate our winning the Gold Award at this year’s Yorkshire in Bloom competition, and included butterflies, flowers and bicycle wheels to remind ourselves of what we’ve been doing this year.

Yellow bikes everywhere

We’ve installed yellow bikes with yellow boxes of yellow flowers all over Otley to welcome and celebrate the Tour de France Grand Depart on 5th July. You’ll have seen the finished results so we thought you’d like to see some photos of us setting them up. On 25th May we put them on the roundabouts, before the Summer bedding was planted by the Parks Dept.

And the finished result:

And here’s the one outside HSBC being set up by Ian and Ernie, before Jacquie and Charlotte fixed on the flower basket.

Yellow bikes are beginning to appear in town

We’ve put a few of our Tour de France yellow bikes with flower baskets up in the town centre recently.  The latest one is outside the church, near Beks. (Thank you Beks for giving us lots of yellow paint for the bikes.)

The first one was in place outside the Methodist Church for the Yorkshire in Bloom judges to see when they came on 10th April.  It has now moved to the bike stand near the Conservative club.

We will be putting more in place very soon, see how many you can spot. 

Bloom team wins show bronze

Our pocket garden with a Tour de France theme has won a bronze at Harrogate Flower Show.

The one metre square garden display was based around a very small yellow bike carrying two planters of bright flowers, surrounded by bee-friendly plants.  It was designed by Katie Burnett of Courtyard Planters and planted by Katie and other members of Otley in Bloom.