Category Archives: News

Bloomin’ Roadworks

Everyone around town is getting fed up with the roadworks, so Oakham In Bloom volunteers are keen to bring some floral fun to our planting this year… our theme is Bloomin’ Roadworks!

We’re delighted to have teamed up with local group Men in Sheds, who are making wooden planters, wheelbarrows and triangles for our volunteers to fill with our summer planting.

Our regular volunteers will also be joined by Oakham Brownies, who will be decorating some of the triangles and wheelbarrows.

The first of the planters will be planted on our Big Summer Planting Day on Sunday 4 June – everyone is welcome to come and lend a hand.  We’ll start at 10.30am at the Library – please bring hand tools, kneelers and friends!

Please note that the BBC will be with us that day to film for their new programme, so if you are bringing children and would like them to be on camera, please contact us for a form that both parents/guardians need to sign.  If you’d like to be on camera please avoid wearing clothes with logos/brands and anything white or with stripes.

For any volunteers not wanting to be on camera please just let us know and we’ll arrange for you to plant in areas that will not be filmed.

Rutland Independence Anniversary Celebrated with Jeffery Hudson

Oakham In Bloom were delighted to celebrate 20 years of Rutland independence with a special project featuring Jeffery Hudson!

Several months ago, Michael Walton, son of the late owners of Hudson’s Cottage, kindly donated a statue of Jeffery Hudson to the town of Oakham.

The statue previously stood in the garden of the cottage on Melton Road, but it was decided to relocate it to the courtyard garden of Rutland County Museum.

Jeffery Hudson in the Rutland County Museum Garden

The statue was a little worse for wear after so many years exposed to all weathers, so Oakham In Bloom embarked on a project to restore it, with local sculptor Mo Gardner taking on the challenge.

A special unveiling ceremony was held on Saturday 1 April, where Oakham In Bloom volunteers were joined by over 100 guests, including town dignitaries, Museum staff, local school pupils and Michael Walton and his guests.

Chris Morten, Chair of Oakham In Bloom, and his wife Marilyn, also an Oakham In Bloom volunteer, revealed the new Jeffery Hudson!

Jeffery now stands proudly in the Museum garden, beneath him is a time capsule containing photographs of Joan and Roy Walton and memories of their lives, together with a letter to the future by the pupils of Brooke Hill Academy, some school badges and other Rutland artefacts, including a regimental cap badge in the shape of a Rutland horseshoe.

As part of the project, the garden’s planting has been refreshed for summer 2017 by Oakham In Bloom’s Craig Howat and his team of gardening volunteers.

Guests at the unveiling of the Jeffery Hudson statue

Guests enjoyed a reception and Italian-style buffet kindly provided by Michael Walton and Italian catering students who travelled to Rutland especially for the event.

The project was funded by Michael Walton and Oakham In Bloom.

Chris Morten   Craig Howat

Further photographs can be found on our Facebook page.

2016 Christmas Window Competition Launched

Each year Oakham’s shops and businesses are invited to dress their windows for Christmas for Oakham In Bloom’s Best Christmas Window Display Competition.

The winner will be presented with the trophy inscribed with their name, which is held for one year, with two runners-up receiving commemorative rosettes.

New for this year – judging will be by public vote!  You can vote online or by pick up a voting form from any of the entrants and posting it in the special box at the Melton Building Society on the High Street.  To help you vote, photos of each entry will be published on our Facebook page.

With over 30 entries already this year, the town will look amazing!

For more information about how to enter and the entrants so far, please visit our Christmas Window Competition page.

All Saints Memorial Garden Redesigned

Oakham In Bloom have completed one of their largest projects to date by completely renovating the All Saints Church Memorial Garden.

With shrubs and trees taking over the garden, and struggling as a result of becoming cramped and restricted, parishioners were keen to redesign the garden to provide a tranquil area for remembrance of loved ones.

Oakham In Bloom volunteers were delighted to take on the project, which was funded by Oakham Memorial Institute, a generous donation from a parishioner, and Oakham In Bloom.

Work began several weeks ago with Oakham In Bloom arranging for the old shrubs, trees and plants to carefully be removed without affecting the church building, and we are very grateful to Paint It or Plant It for carrying out this work.

A new design was created and last weekend the Oakham In Bloom volunteers, together with parishioners, completed the planting.

Volunteers plant All Saints Memorial Garden

Volunteers and parishioners are very much looking forward to Spring, when the planting will start to flourish, creating the peaceful haven that families wish for.

The Memorial Garden will continue to be cared for under Oakham In Bloom’s regular maintenance sessions.

Volunteers at All Saints Church

East Midlands In Bloom Special Awards for Local Achievements

At the East Midlands In Bloom ceremony on Wednesday 14 September, a number of special awards were given in recognition of individuals’ outstanding achievements, in addition to Oakham’s overall Silver Gilt award.

Michael Young was awarded Bronze in the Frank Constable Award for best residential garden.

The Wheatsheaf and Lands’ End both received Gold for Best Hotel or Pub Garden and Best Retail/Commercial Premises, with Les Dalby receiving a Judge’s Award for the ‘immaculately maintained gardens’ at Lands’ End.

In the Best School Garden Award, Brooke Priory was awarded a Certificate of Achievement.

The awards were collected on behalf of the winners by the Oakham In Bloom committee and Mayor Adam Lowe at the East Midlands In Bloom ceremony, they were then awarded to the winners at the Oakham In Bloom AGM last week.