HOOK in Bloom supporters laid down their gardening forks and lifted the culinary version in support of Hook in Bloom at The Crooked Billet on Monday.

The evening was organised to raise extra money to get the village blooming, with the dinner coming a short time after the announcement that funds had now arrived in the Hook in Bloom account from the Tesco ‘Bags of Help’ initiative which means volunteers for the initiative can now really start planning how they were going to move the project forward.

Crooked Billet owners Richard and Sally Sanders served up a splendid meal for the volunteers. The evening raised £170 partly through ticket sales and also through a raffle. The first prize was a healthy juicer, won by locals Amanda and Martin Whittaker.

Tickets were £18 and £5 of each ticket price was donated to Hook in Bloom.

Landlord Richard Sanders said: “We have been part of Hook village for a long time, in fact 30 years in September and this seemed a really good way to help the volunteers to keep going with their endeavours.

“It was a good evening and judging from the atmosphere everyone really enjoyed themselves.”

Hook in Bloom is a new initiative whereby an energetic and enthusiastic band of villagers, backed by various village organisations including the parish council, Hart District Council, Hampshire Count Council, Hook Village Halls Charitable Association, Hook Allotments Association and Hook Gardening Club, have joined forces to improve Hook’s environs and make it ‘bloom’

Thus far, volunteers have started work on the grounds of both Hook Community Centre and the Elizabeth Hall, the sight lines from Bell Meadow and Station Approach have been improved with new planting outside The Raven, the waste land outside the Premier shop has been cleared and planted and planting has begun on sections of Grand Parade.

“Volunteers are working hard on the project,” said councillor Sue Hinton, “but we know it won’t happen overnight. There is a lot to do and we hope that once people see the difference we are making that they too will want to join in and help.

“We usually only plan to have an hour or hour and a half at each session so it’s not onerous. Even helping to water the plants until they get established is a fantastic help.”

Financial support for the various elements of the project has come from the Tesco Bags for Help initiative, Big Lottery Fund Grants for All and Hampshire County Council.