ANOTHER year and another sweeping victory for Thornbury's team of gardeners, planters and helpers who picked up no fewer than two awards at the South West in Bloom competition.

Once again, the In Bloom team's hard-work and dedication paid off as they received a gold medal as well as the Sargeant Cup for best performance in the town category.

Sue Aitken, a member of the Thornbury In Bloom team, said she was delighted the town succeeded in maintaining its spotless record for excellence at the prestigious Royal Horicultural Society contest.

"I was fairly confident that we were going to get a gold medal because I know we had done everything well," she said. "But we could not be confident that we would win the overall cup."

She added: "Congratulations to everyone involved. That includes not only the planters and weeders but our sponsors, large or small, those who enter our local garden competition and those who help out in anyway at all.

"From picking up litter to dropping a few coins in our collecting boxes – it all counts and makes us part of the winning team."

The cup will be on display at T&J Owen.

Although in a celebratory mood, the multi-award winning team is very much aware that its standing in the competition may be placed in jeopardy next year following the announcement of major cuts to street care in South Gloucestershire.

The local authority's plans to significantly reduce the amount of services it had so far provided, including the frequency of grass cutting, mean the onus will be on the town to keep up standards.

Despite these changes, Ms Aitken, said she believed locals would step up to the plate and help to keep Thornbury as resplendent as ever.

"Next year is going to be quite a challenge because of the way the grass cutting is going to work," she said. "But with everybody's support next year should be as good as this year."

The champions were announced on Thursday, September 19 at a ceremony in Truro Cathedral.

The team is looking for volunteers to join its ranks.

To lend a hand contact Sue Aitken on 01454 419350 or email thornburyinbloom@yahoo.co.uk

Alternatively call chairman Guy Rawlinson on 01454 885056 or visit www.thornburyinbloom.co.uk and www.facebook.com/thornburyinbloom

Read Thursday's Gazette for more reactions.