Caravan Club in bloom!
The Warden teams from the top three winning Caravan Club Sites were honoured at the Boat & Caravan Show at the NEC, when the Sites in Bloom 2009 presentations were made by Club Chairman, Grenville Chamberlain.
Caravan Club sites around the UK are encouraged to take part in this annual competition and to go the extra mile to make sure site reception areas and approaches – as well as areas around the site itself – are colourful and welcoming to visitiors. As always the Warden teams rose to the challenge and the results of their fantastic efforts were appreciated and commented on by visitors throughout the season.
Top prize, and the Alan Payne Trophy, was awarded to Four Oaks Caravan Club Site near Henley-on-Thames, where the warden team comprising Terry and Wendy Turrell (Wardens), and Mike and Lyn Stirling (Assistant Wardens), with the excellent assistance of volunteers, worked extremely hard to create a veritable carpet of colour on the approach to the site.
“We received literally hundreds of compliments from members arriving on site as it was a super way to welcome them,” said Lyn Stirling. “We also created a cunning disguise for the doors to the pumphouse, with a flower-decked boat!”
Runners up were: Godrevy Park Caravan Club Site on St Ives Bay in Cornwall, where the judges were particularly impressed by a colourful, wild flower meadow area which was alive with butterflies; and Clumber Park Caravan Club Site in the heart of Sherwood Forest, where the fantastic trailing hanging basket displays around the reception area lit up the area in all weathers.
The competition was introduced in 2003 by Caravan Club Life Member, the late Alan Payne OBE, who wanted to reward the outstanding efforts that Warden teams and volunteers make to ensure their sites look attractive and welcoming to visitors.
“We are always amazed and delighted with the outstanding horticultural efforts made by Club Warden teams around the country,” commented Caravan Club Chairman, Grenville Chamberlain when presenting the awards. “These are very busy people who have pulled out all the stops to make sure visitors get not only a warm welcome on arrival, but a colourful floral one as well!”
The displays were judged by the Caravan Club’s Sites sub-Committee using criteria including layout and creative use of space, variety, innovation, flair and colour coordination, with particular attention being paid to economy and low maintenance. The geographical location of the site is also taken into account by the judges and the fact that plant species are chosen to suit the local environment.
