bramham in bloom spring 2014
DESCRIPTION
The publication supplied to the judgesTRANSCRIPT
welcomes the judgesOF
Yorkshire in bloom
SPRING 2014
A Brief History of the Village
The history of Bramham goes back to Roman Times when it was important because ofits location on the junction of the main north/south east/west trading routes. This was
the junction of the Great North Road and a lesser known route from York to Ilkley.
Its importance as a major stopping place on The Great North Road continued well into
the 1800's but the surrounding area was very different to what we see today. It was
described as a wild and desolate place, the haunt of footpads and highwaymen.
Battles during the Wars of the Roses and the Civil War were fought in the area andcasualties were buried in the cemetery of All Saints' Church, the oldest building in the
Village.
In more recent times Bramham may be recognised Nationally by two major events
taking place in Bramham Park, The Bramham Horse Trials and The Leeds Carling Rock
Festival.
Why do we enter Yorkshire in Bloom?Initially we wondered ourselves!! But the response from the village answered the
question for us. Not only were the residents supportive but they were also quite
excited about being part of Yorkshire in Bloom.
So here we are saying welcome to our Village.
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CONTENTS
The origins of Bramham in Bloom
What we have done so far
What was achieved last year
Route Map
Major Projects
Overall achievements since 2005
Our Supporters
Future Plans
Press Cuttings
Yorkshire in Bloom asked us to cover in our brochure the
various categories in their guidelines and this we have tried to
do. We think that we have covered everything required, but
just in case! At the back we have included a revue in
accordance with the specific guidelines given by Yorkshire in
Bloom.
Hopefully this will be a quick and easy reference if you feel
that something has not been included in the main body of the
brochure or on route.
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THE ORIGINS OF BRAMHAM IN BLOOM
January 2014Issue 120
All Saints’ ChurchBramham Parish News
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Opened eighteen flower beds and two shrub beds.
Acquired and planted four stone troughs at the Church.
Provided and planted seven hay racks.
Introduced eight new planters to the War Memorial.
Provided four planters outside the Garage.
Provided part of the funding for a “Bio Pond” at the Primary School.
Landscaped an area where a wall had collapsed.
Opened a Wildlife Area.
Renovated an ancient Cattle Ramp and surrounding area.
Secured grants of over £10,000.
Obtained sponsorship of around £1600 per annum.
What else have we done:-
Held a children's Treasure Hunt linked to Bramham in Bloom.
Gave a talk on Bramham in Bloom and the Environment to the Village School
and to the Bramham Yorkshire Countrywomen's Association.
Planted some 25,000 bulbs, daffodils, bluebells, snowdrops, crocuses, tulips
and narcissi.
Organise an annual poster competition at the Primary School and in the Village
in support of our entry. Leeds Floral Initiative provided excellent prizes.
* Have a stall at the Bramham Gala selling plants and promoting our activities.
Assisted the organisers of the Gala by doing some strimming at the entrance
to the field.
See also Page 22
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REVIEW OF THE PAST YEAR
Floral Activities
Our aim was and still is to enhance the Village with suitable floral displays and deal with
environmental issues as they arise. Naturally this requires attention all year.
We feel, and from discussions with the residents, they also feel that the number and
type of floral displays is about right. This was what we intended as there was a genuine
feeling that whatever we did should not alter the character of the Village. Planting and
expansion for their own sake does not fit in with a village of this size and character.
There is, therefore, very little change over the last year although we have continued to
be active in the Village.
Obtained daffodil bulbs for Bramham Church.
School Yorkshire in Bloom Poster Competition.
Winners of the 2014 Poster Competition
With their prizes
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OVERALL ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE 2005
MAJOR PROJECTS
The Cattle Ramp
This area was badly neglected but has a significant historic value as it leads down from
the road that was the original “Great North Road”. There was another ramp in the Village
but sadly it has gone. The project was funded from several sources.
The Wildlife Area
The whole idea was to open up the area and change it as little as possible and hopefully
we have achieved this.
Paths and benches (of a rustic type) were put in together with bird and bat boxes. Areas
of trimmed branches etc were left as natural habitats.
The bark for the path (which generally gets washed away every winter!) was supplied by a
local tradesman free of charge.
The project was financed by the National Lottery.
UPGRADED BOTTLE BANK
Not only was this unsightly but other rubbish was left and rats had been seen in the area
which is close to the Primary School. A grant was obtained from East North East Man-
agement team and the work carried out by Leeds City Council.
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before after
Major Overall Achievements since 2005 -continued
CATTLE RAMP
Sponsors : Residents Collection in the Village Shop
Gardener : Helena Buck
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before after
before after
before after
Major Overall Achievements since 2005 -continued
WILDLIFE PRESERVATION AREA
JOINT UNDERTAKING WITH THE PARISH COUNCIL
AND LEEDS CITY COUNCIL
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OVERALL ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE 2005
SPRING IN BRAMHAM
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CLIFFORD ROAD ENTRANCE TO THE VILLAGE
Lyndon Road
Gardener:
Keith Howland
Sponsored by:-
Bramham Running Club
Gardener:Jeremy Kendall
supported by Jean Dale
Sponsored by:-
Wetherby Lions`
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before
after
before
after
Four Troughs Sponsored by:-
Gardeners:Mavis and Victor Wilson
In 2011 All Saints’ Church
received a special
Conservation Award from
Yorkshire in Bloom in
acknowledgement of the
work they do in the
Churchyard in relation to
conservation of both
flora and fauna.
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Sponsored by:- The Wetherby Lions
Gardeners: Ernest and Meryl Nichols
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Sponsored by:- Bramham Medical Centre
Gardener: Lynda Goddard
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Sponsored by:- Mrs Dorothy Clegg
Gardeners:Yvonne Gibson and Valerie Soper
Supported by Hazel and David Scott
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Gardeners: Sharon Wilson and Family
Wendy Watts and Family
Supported by Alex Skinner and Simon Kelly
Gardeners: Iris and Paul Smith
No Sponsor at this time
Sponsored by:- Edmunds Electrical
Brooke Babes and Thomlinsons Estate Agents.
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before after
Sponsored by:-
Bramham Running Club
Gardeners
Alison StJohn and family and Iris and Paul Smith
WETHERBY ROAD CORNER
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before
after
Sponsored by:
Silverwood
Plumbing Ltd
The Bayford Group,
And The Dog Walker
Gardeners:Vicky and Keith Innocent,
Jo Ogden and family
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after
before
The return of the
Village Pump
Donated by
Peggy Kitchen and
Dorothy Clegg
In memory of their husbands
Gardener: Peggy Kitchen
Gardeners:
Val Hall
Supported by Lynne and Paul Marshall
Gardeners: Pauline Jacobson
Supported by The Red Lion
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Sponsored by:
Gardeners:
Lynne & Paul Marshall
Sponsored by: Village Stores
Gardener: Valerie Soper
Sponsored by:
Gardeners:Crystal Macleod
Supported by The Garage
BRIDGE AREA
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Post Box Lyndon Road
Headley Lane Sign
YEDL Gates
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before
before
before after
after
after
COMMUNITY GARDEN
The possibility of a Community Garden was first raised by
Bramham in Bloom four years ago. And at last with co-operation
from the Community Action Group, Leeds City Council, our own
Parish Council and various grants it has now become a reality. It
will provide a very pleasant area to relax in for many years to
come.
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before
after
Bramham in Bloom SponsorsWe and the Village as a whole are very grateful to our sponsors who together contribute
around £1600 each year to support our floral displays.
Without their financial support very little of what we see today would have been
possible.
Other FundingWe have also been helped by financial support for specific capital expenditure and again
without this we would not have progressed to the stage that we are at now:-
Bramham Parish Council
Leeds City Council "Floral Initiative".
Leeds City Council "Leeds North East Area Management Team"
National Lottery
Bramham Community Fund
Donations and a Coffee Morning
Donations in a collection jar in the Village Stores “Friends of Bramham in Bloom
The Gardeners and SupportersWe have a dedicated band of gardeners plus supporters who deal with our day to day
business. Forever cheerful, except when plants get stolen from the beds!!, they have
made a real impact on the appearance of the Village in a relatively short space of time.
Without them none of this would have been possible.
Bramham Primary SchoolThe children at the school are a very enthusiastic group, they have their own Bramham
in Bloom bed as well as many of their own projects. An amazing number of 36 children
took part in the poster competition. (See Page 31 for an example)
All Saints’ ChurchFollows the guidelines of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
The general feeling is that the development within the Village is about right. There was
never any intention of changing the nature of the Village, only enhancing it and the focus
will now be on developing and improving the displays that have been established.
There will still be some changes:-
A continuing programme of bulb planting.
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PRESS
CUTTINGS
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YORKSHIRE IN BLOOM GUIDELINES
FOR BROCHURE CONTENT
A1 & A2 - Horticultural achievement and Practice
1) The Committee decide on the design, colour scheme and location of any new beds.
2) Deciding on the number of plants was initially difficult but with experience this has
now been refined and there are few problems.
3) Shrubs have been introduced into the various beds as appropriate to enhance the
annual planting and for sustainability.
4) Two specific shrub beds have been planted and the ramp bed incorporates various
shrubs for flower, foliage and bark effects.
5) The real focal point because of its closeness to the centre of the village, the bus
stop, and one of the Pubs is the Cattle Ramp and Beck bed, This area never fails to
attract comments from visitors and the local residents.
6) Watering, dead heading, weeding, and feeding of the hayracks and planters is down
to the individual gardeners and we have a dedicated bunch!! Pruning and pest
control is undertaken by the Committee. Where possible the Beck is used as a
source of water.
7) No fertilisers are used on the beds - only organic manure.
8) All plants are obtained from Leeds City Council Red Hall because of the quality and
their delivery system.
A3 - Residential and Community Gardening
1) Church has a specific policy for maintaining the Church Yard under guidance from
the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
2) The Senior Citizens Centre Garden is the responsibility of the Parish Council.
3) Since our entry into Yorkshire in Bloom it has been noticeable that hayracks and
hanging baskets have started to appear in the Village.
4) The school has a flower bed to offer support and we have provided bulbs for
planting. The school in general is very focused on all aspect of the environment.
5) Two residents have offered their gardens to be visited by the Judges.
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YORKSHIRE IN BLOOM GUIDELINES FOR BROCHURE
CONTENT - continued
A4 - Business Areas and Premises
1) The majority of sponsors are from the Village.
2) The garage is a sponsor and also supplies water and help from an employee to water
the containers
3) The Village Stores sponsors Bramham in Bloom, has a collection jar on the counter
and acts as a post box for us within the Village.
3) The Red Lion Pub, although not a sponsor, do their own thing every year to good
effect from the point of view of enhancing the Square. They have also taken on
responsibility for watering the War Memorial in Summer which is a significant
task.
A5 Green Spaces
1) Leeds City Council carry out regular grass cutting
2) We enhance the cutting round the beds
3) Two residents on their own initiative cut, weed and feed two large verges to lawn
standard.
4) Beech Trees have been planted on an entrance road to the Village. (In the past all
the roads into the Village were lined with Beech Trees).
5) Created a Wildlife Preservation Area.
6) 25,000 various bulbs have been planted. Daffodils, Crocuses, Snowdrops and English
bluebells.
B1 - Conservation and Biodiversity
1) Wildlife Area
2) Provided some funding for a Biodiverse pond at the Primary School
3) The Churches Environmental project
4) Beech Trees planted.
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YORKSHIRE IN BLOOM GUIDELINES
FOR BROCHURE CONTENT - continued
B2 - Resource Management
1) The Bottle Bank.
2) All perennial plants used in the beds (mainly autumn planting) are offered to the
residents before replanting. Plants have also been given to the local Golf Club and
Bowling Club.
3) We do not have the manpower to do our own composting and compost is passed to
the Allotments. Annual plants are taken to the local recycling plant.
B3 - Local Heritage
1) Cattle ramp.
2) A Parish Council project was a commemorative plaque to commemorate the 600th
year of the Battle of Bramham Moor.
3) Produced a book of walks round Bramham which includes some history of the Village
and surrounding area.
B4 - Local Environment Quality
1) Number of regular litter pickers, who do this as part of a walk.
2) Vigorous campaign in the Parish Magazine with regard to litter and dog fouling. This
coupled with the Yorkshire in Bloom entry has had a noticeable effect.
3) Silt regularly dug out of the Beck.
B5 - Pride of Place
1) Had a dilapidated fence replaced.
2) New Post box.
3) New Road sign.
4) Refurbished a bench.
5) Created a flower bed where a wall had collapsed.
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YORKSHIRE IN BLOOM GUIDELINES
FOR BROCHURE CONTENT - continued
C1 - Development and Continuity
1) Sound management structure with a commitment to innovation but bearing in mind
not to over-develop and change the nature of the Village.
2) Committed Volunteers.
C2 - Communication and Education
1) Regular monthly communication via the Parish Magazine.
2) Press coverage.
3) Close liaison with the Primary School.
4) Some beds looked after by families.
5) Stall at the Village Gala to promote activities.
C3 - Community Involvement
1) All residents actively encouraged to join us.
C4 - Year-round Involvement
1) Monthly Communication
2) Gala Stall.
3) School and Village children’s Poster Competition.
4) Year round gardening.
5) Press coverage as necessary.
C5 - Funding and Support
1) Virtually all day-to-day expenditure covered by sponsorship. There was a deliberate
policy not to fund-raise in a very active way as it is a small Village with fund raising
already in place for many worthy causes.
2) Capital items through grants from Leeds City Council or The National Lottery.
3) Collection Jar in Village Stores.
4) The Parish Council gives support if we cannot get funding from other sources.
5) There is a Community Fund provided by the organisers of the Leeds Festival, which
we can call upon if necessary.
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