THORNBURY has battled through tough competition to be named “Champion of Champions” in this year’s South West in Bloom competition.

Normally the town, which has claimed a gold medal every year since 2000, would face others of a similar size, but after an exceptional result last year, Thornbury was placed in the special category to face off against all the other category winners from last year.

Alongside the fantastic feat, toppling both cities and remote villages, the Thornbury in Bloom team was again rewarded for its efforts with a well-deserved gold medal for the town.

Further awards also went out to the Anchor at Morton pub for being the best floral pub in the South West and Thornbury’s Wildflower Meadow was given the trophy for best indigenous natural plants.

Thornbury in Bloom members Sue Aitken and Tony Sansum were also awarded the prize for outstanding service to South West in Bloom.

With a wonderful array of displays across the town, Thornbury managed to impress judges when they visited back in July with plenty of positive feedback from the judges as they visited the likes of the “Love Bed” at the top of Grovesend Road, the Ring of Thorns outside Tesco, the Rock Street Gardens, Daggs Allotments and the new Morton Bridge wildflower environmental project.

The awards were handed out at a special ceremony in Torquay this afternoon, with the eight members of the committee in attendance “caught totally off guard” by how successful this year’s display had been.

“We are absolutely delighted,” said Thornbury in Bloom president Sheila Forsythe.

“I am still in a state of disbelieve, we just kept getting called back up to the stage. We have armfuls of trophies to bring back with us!

“Everyone has worked so hard this year and with such a variety of awards, including those for the Anchor at Morton and the Wildflower Meadow, it is great that everyone has been recognised in one way or another.”

Sue Aitken added: “We have made it as far as we can in the South West and would couldn’t be any happier.

“The team couldn’t have done any better this year and it is fantastic to be rewarded like this.

“Words cannot express how happy everyone is, we just cannot believe it.

"A massive thank you has to go out to everyone who has been involved this year, no matter how large or small your contribution was, everyone has played their part in this success!”