THE finest gardeners and allotment holders in Redditch gathered at the town hall recently for the annual presentation evening for the Redditch Best Garden and Allotment Competition.

The event was organised by Redditch Council, and all winners received their awards from the mayor, Councillor Malcolm Hall.

The competition was sponsored by Badger Nurseries and Plant Centre, and judges Chris Harten and Cairi Dyson had the unenviable task of picking the winners of each category from a very high standard of entries which were judged over several days in July.

In a departure from previous years, the overall winners of the competition were chosen this year from all categories, including the individual allotment plots, and awards were made based on combined points.

The winner in the general category was Mr and Mrs Richard Poolton, of Headless Cross, the winner in the best recent makeover category was Simon Tidmarsh and family from Greenlands and the best recent makeover was Mr and Mrs Flowers, of Webheath, In the sheltered, residential or warden controlled homes communal gardens category was won by The Cedars Residential Nursing Home, followed by Wood Court in second and Arthur Jobson House in third.

The best allotment site was Winyates Green, followed by Astwood Bank in second and Tilehouse in third.

The best individual allotment plot awards went to Brian Fisher in Astwood Bank, followed in second by Michael Chawner in Lodge Park, followed by a worthy third place for Sarah Perkins and Paul Baker in Bridge Street.

The lucky overall winners were Mr and Mrs R Poolton, in Headless Cross, in first place, with Brian Fisher of Astwood Bank in second and Mr S Blyth of Lodge Park in third.