East Haven was looking its best on Friday for the Angus village’s bid to shine in this year’s Britain in Bloom.
After weeks of work to put the finishing touches to displays all round the community, volunteers welcomed competition judges to the hotspot near Carnoustie.
Scotland’s hopes of coastal village success rest with the village as it bids to add another accolade to its lengthy roll of honour.
So the East Haven Together members were determined to make sure they impressed the judges.
The focus was firmly on the floral displays, but included a look around the ‘Loo-vre’ art gallery in the public toilets local residents have run since 2015.
East Haven has its sights firmly set on repeating the success of 2018 in the hotly-contested competition.
It was a gold award winner in that year’s Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom and took the title of the country’s best coastal village.
Warm welcome
Wendy Murray of East Haven Together said it was an honour to welcome Britain in Bloom judges Geraldine King and Mary Bagley to Angus from London.
Angus Lord Lieutenant Pat Sawers and Provost Brian Boyd were part of the welcome party for the VIP visitors.
And the judges received a comprehensive dossier of the vast range of environmental work carried out by the East Haven volunteers.
“The village is representing Scotland in the coastal category this year and we are so proud of that,” said Wendy.
“We will be judged alongside St Brelade in Jersey, Lytham St Annes, Exmouth, Llandudno and Whitehaven.
East Haven’s success in events such as Keep Scotland Beautiful stretches all the way back to 2014.
In 2022 it scooped the competition’s top accolade after being picked out as the rosebowl winner.
It elevated the village to a bid to be the UK’s cream of the crop.
Highlights have included:
- 2015 Gold award and sustainability prize
- 2016 Gold award and Garden for Life biodiversity award
- 2017 Gold award and coastal village category winner
- 2021 Gold award and RHS Scotland prize for overcoming adversity
- 2022 Coastal village and joint rosebowl winner
“We won’t find out until late October at an event in London how we have done – but I am hopeful we will do well again this year,” said Wendy.
