Chris Bavin is back to meet a new crop of green-fingered Brits
Chris Bavin is back to meet a new crop of green-fingered Brits taking part in the annual floral competition in BBC2's Britain in Bloom
The perfect antidote to all the Brexit gloom, Britain in Bloom returns with host Chris Bavin seemingly on a one-man mission to cheer us up.
Following 15 communities as they compete in the Royal Horticultural Society’s much-loved nationwide community gardening competition, Chris (pictured above with Father Michael Walsh and Keith Tordoff) starts at Pateley Bridge, in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, meeting the ‘bloomers’ hoping to add some ‘razzmatazz’ to their village and encourage more tourists to visit their sleepy High Street.
Expect dizzying floral displays, riots of colour and enthusiastic green-fingered Brits throughout the series, running Monday to Friday over the next three weeks. Uplifting TV.
TV Times rating: ****
Here, Chris tells TV Times about some of the places he visits in this week's show…
PATELEY BRIDGE, YORKSHIRE
‘These Bloomers are determined to win gold with as much razzmatazz as they can muster!
Their high street is in danger of becoming a ghost town, so they involve local Cubs and plant a spectacular wildflower garden near the entrance to welcome tourists, and transform an old air-raid shelter into a glorious floral display.
Best of all, they strip back undergrowth in a forgotten public grotto at the church, uncovering an incredible view of the Dales.’
SOUTHPORT, MERSEYSIDE
‘These guys are veterans, having taken part in the competition for over 20 years.
A team of volunteers plant the town’s famous half-mile-long herbaceous border with thousands of flowers, while a neglected heritage fernery at the Botanical Gardens is brought back to life.’
SOHO ROAD, BIRMINGHAM
‘This is the most un-Bloom entrant you can think of. It’s a buzzing, diverse, busy road, with antisocial-behaviour issues including vandalism, graffiti and, in the past, riots. This is proof that anyone can enter and transform an area.
The Sikh community brighten their temple campus with flowers, working alongside the church.
And local secondary- school kids create a relaxation area for younger pupils intimidated by the big, noisy school. How great is that?’
PETWORTH, WEST SUSSEX
‘This is a great example of Bloom bringing disconnected communities together. Bloomers from the historic town centre and housing estates on the outskirts join forces.
The team brightens up a dusty, overgrown area by the car-park entrance to the town and schoolchildren create a sensory garden in the playground.’
