Everyone present at a reception following the judging was of a single mind, Forres had rarely looked better.

Judge Jon Wheatley set the seal on the day when, in his remarks to the assembled company, he said: "It has been a real pleasure. I'll be coming back, but next time as a tourist, because I think this is a beautiful place."

His fellow judge, John Woodward, said it was his first time in Forres and he wanted to thank everyone for the warmth of the welcome they had received.

"It is very unusual to find a school, out of term time, full of children, but that is what we have here," he went on.

"It is a real indication of how keen they are to help the community."

Earlier Mr Woodward had said he and Mr Wheatley had been looking for a community effort with people striving to change where they lived for the better. They also looked at the cleanliness of the town, the tidiness, lack of litter and graffiti, environmental projects and care of wildlife.

"What we really look for is community input, with as wide a range of people and organisations involved as possible," he said.

"I have to say I'm very impressed with the community spirit in Forres."

Chair of the Forres In Bloom committee, Lorraine Dingwall, said it had been a very relaxed judging visit.

"Everything flowed really well," she said.

"We managed to show the judges many different aspects of Forres, and all the way through it were the children... the FIBbees in their garden by the Grant Park car park, Pilmuir School and Applegrove. The judges were very impressed by them.

"Everywhere looked great. We couldn't do anything more, and no matter how the results go, I really think we are all winners, living in this community."

Mrs Dingwall thanked everyone involved in the operation of getting Forres looking its best, and made special mention of those organisations who had given their support.

"Just days before the judges were due to arrive, a representative of the Lidl supermarket phoned me and offered two of their landscape workers to help with anything we needed help with," she said.

"Lidl paid their wages, and the two men worked on the roundabouts on the approach to Forres to ensure they looked their best.

"Not a lot of people would think of doing that."

McCarthy and Stone, the company behind the new retirement homes in Market Street, paid for six hanging baskets for their development and also sponsored the butterfly in Grant Park.

Claire Dunlop, of the marketing department, said they would also try to provide materials to tidy up the Market Green area before next year.

A former assistant rector at Forres Academy has also leant her enthusiasm and organising skills to a scheme to get the people of Forres to adopt a street and keep it free from litter and weeds.

Caroline Hastie, who was a driving force behind many of the environmental projects at the academy prior to her retirement, said she and neighbour Marjorie Wallace had "adopted" Sanquhar Road this year.

"We adopted the whole road, from the Legion to the loch," said Miss Hastie.

"We have gone out at 6.30 every Tuesday morning since May. Now we would like more people to join us.

"It is not an effort. Forres In Bloom will supply rubbish pickers, and it is very rewarding.

"I've just heard that every street on Jersey has been adopted, so there is no reason why we can't get every street in Forres adopted. We feel we should be the first Scottish community to have a volunteer for every street."

Caroline and Marjorie have already made a list of all the streets in Forres and are now looking for people to sign up.

"It doesn't even have to be a whole street," said Marjorie.

"You do as much as you can. Every time you walk along your street, you pick up litter or weeds."

Moray Council's parks department came in for particular praise, and Forres foreman Andy Scott admitted that the town was looking the best it had ever been. Along with colleagues Graham Mackenzie, a first year apprentice, Steve McDermott and Kevin Barry, who is in charge of the grass-cutting staff, Mr Scott has been working hard on Grant Park and other areas of Forres all summer, under the supervision of assistant lands and parks officer Grant Speed.

"The judges certainly seemed to like what they were seeing," said Mr Speed.

"They were paying compliments all the way round. They were particularly impressed by the range of bedding plants – plants they didn't expect to see so far north."

He said he hadn't starting thinking about next year yet, but decisions would have to be made in the next month or so, in order to have all the plants ready for next year.

"They even commented on the grass-cutting in Grant Park," he said.

"Amenity grass areas have come in for criticism in the past, but they must have been impressed by the striping in the park, which was done by Jim Robson, who takes lots of pride it in."

MP Angus Robertson said he wanted to thank Lorraine Dingwall and the Forres in Bloom committee for the hard work done over the past year.

"They cannot be praised enough, and I know that the people of Forres are really grateful for their efforts," he said.

"The success of Forres is down to a unique community spirit which brings together the committee, local Moray Council staff, the schools and a whole lot of volunteers who ensure Forres is the tremendous success it is."

Local councillor Irene Ogilvie said: "This year the gardens and town are particularly beautiful, with the warm, vivid colours in the Grant Park, hanging baskets and barrels all over the town.

"This is mainly due to the Forres in Bloom team, Moray Council and the community spirit of the people of Forres who want to see Forres obtain Gold this year in the Britain In Bloom competition.

"The judges made comment on the beauty of the town and the willingness for all to work towards this one goal. I for one would like to see all the hard work complemented by winning Gold."

Fellow councillor Iain Young said it had been a terrific effort.

"It proves what can be done by people working together," he said.

"I was particularly impressed by the Wee FIBbees and the Pilmuir project. They were absolutely terrific, a great community effort.

"I do think that the Moray Council workers put in a terrific amount of work; congratulations to them. They enter the spirit of the competition and they should take great pride in what they have achieved."

k.smith@forres-gazette.co.uk

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