Vandals won’t be allowed to derail a community campaign to brighten up Arbroath.
That’s the message from Jean Stewart from Arbroath in Bloom.
The group has already made an impact in Arbroath with bikes and bunting going up in various locations in Westport, Millgate, High Street and Guthrie Port.
The bikes were painted and decked out in colourful floral displays to make the town more attractive.
However, one bike situated in Catherine Street was inexplicably vandalised this week when a wheel was stolen.
Mrs Stewart, former owner of the Brewhouse and Sugar and Spice, said the response from the community made her realise people in Arbroath “are the best in the world”.
She said: “In all my years back home in Arbroath and my involvement with many groups trying to help shout from the rooftops about how great our wee toon is I have never been made more aware of community pulling together than this last week.
“Some fool thought they would be clever and remove a wheel from the red bike in Catherine Street and I have been contacted personally and via Facebook by so many people that it has really raised my spirit and makes me realise that Arbroath folks are the best in the world.
“We do care about where we live and we do care about how the rest of the world sees us.
“If something as simple as painting an old bike and giving it some flowers can give a smile and raise the profile of our town then we must be doing something right.
“How powerful it is see such pride coming coming to the fore.”
Fiona Laing from Heathercraft held a fun paint a bike day where the community helped brighten up the cycles.
Mrs Stewart said they will keep the theme going forward with Halloween and Christmas bikes in the coming months.
She said: “We hope the fools in the town will take a look at how silly this is to vandalise something which belongs to all of us and is giving pleasure in this miserable time of financial cuts and uncertainty.
“The bikes make us smile and they are loved so leave them be.
“There are 20 out on the streets now all doing a good job and more may be rolled out in some surprising places.
“If time allows we may manage to get a printed bike tour so folks can get some fresh air and have a wander finding them around the town.”
She added: “Arbroath In Bloom needs to raise its profile and we would love to have volunteers on board with great gardening knowledge and just someone who would opt to water some of the bikes in places where they don’t always get every day care.
“It would be great if Arbroath could be up there with Colourful Carnoustie and Forfar in Flower.”
