Gardeners get gold in Yorkshire In Bloom awards

Mirfield group Hopton In Bloom was awarded its first gold medal for its efforts at keeping the village looking its best this summer.

They were one of three villages to be given gold, with Luddenden winning the village category overall.

Chris Breare from Hopton In Bloom said: “Next year we are going to try and be best in the category. We are planning a community orchard and we hope that will help.”

Despite the wet summer, the group has not cancelled a single one of its Wednesday morning sessions.

This year Elmwood Close in Upper Hopton entered the It’s Your Neighbourhood category of Yorkshire In Bloom for the first time and was rated as ‘developing’.

The Wildflower Garden at Dewsbury’s Crow Nest Park also entered the It’s Your Neighbourhood category and was rated as ‘thriving’.