Last Saturday morning saw the annual summer planting at The Bourne crossroads.

This project was created well over ten years ago by former town councillor for The Bourne Carole Cockburn and former chairman of The Bourne Residents’ Association, Val Nye, working closely with Noel Moss and the excellent team from The Bourne Conservation Group.

The Bourne Conservation Group had already begun to work at the crossroads but it was still unattractive with unsightly metal bollards and a rusting metal finger post.

Working closely with officers from Surrey County Council, the group improved the raised bed and installed the wooden finger post, together with wooden bollards. It also replaced the existing Lower Bourne signs with colourful bespoke signs, designed by the local community and introduced a new community noticeboard.

The Bourne Conservation Group maintains the magnificent raised bed and the bank behind it and other volunteers plant and water the tubs, troughs, pots and hanging baskets.

Pictured with Carole Cockburn are Doug and Val Nye, stalwart supporters of the project since its inception, Jill Hargreaves, former town mayor, Apollo, Jill’s dog who kept the team in order and Ian and Gail Sampson with their sons, Cameron and Fraser, who did most of the heavy lifting, John Ely, who took the team photo, was vital to the success of this year’s planting session but far too modest to claim any credit.

The floral displays around the crossroads have long been judged as part of the large town category in both South and South East in Bloom and Britain in Bloom, winning gold several times and the baton has now been passed to the new town councillors for The Bourne, George Murray and Michaela Martin.

They will take over the responsibility both for the watering, general maintenance and future planting of the displays and for the presentation to the judges in the summer.

Cllr Murray said: “I am happy to help in any way I can.”