 Burgh Beautiful Progress Report - November 2009
Burgh Beautiful is up and running in preparation for the 2010 planting season, continuing as an integral part of Linlithgow Civic Trust, as decided by a large majority of members and volunteers who attended a well-attended special meeting on 29 October 2009.
The Advent Fair raffle on 28 November was particularly successful with £925.91 collected to help finance forthcoming floral and planting projects. Particular thanks are due to Liz Burrows for all her hard work in organising the raffle, to the many public-spirited individuals and business who donated prizes, to Myra Smith for providing the home-baking at the Burgh Beautiful stall, to Provost Tom Kerr for presiding at the draw, to all who helped at both stalls, and to everyone who bought tickets. Liz managed to amass well over 50 prizes which is indeed an exceptional achievement!
The campaign’s steering group (a sub-committee of Linlithgow Civic Trust) has been strengthened in numbers and has elected Ron Smith as chairman, John Carswell as vice-chairman and Chris Long as secretary. Other members include Sheila Ashby, Liz Burrows, Hazel Duguid, Chantal Hamill, Tom Kerr, Eileen Murray and Tony Oxbrow. However, an open invitation remains for others to join the group, its subsidiary planting group or participate in planting projects – Burgh Beautiful is particularly interested in attracting people who can improve liaison with community, ecological and business groups.
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Burgh Beautiful and Civic Trust volunteers played their part in assembling and putting up these attractive 'holly balls' for the festive season.
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The Burgh Beautiful stall, strategically situated in the High Street for Linlithgow's Advent Fair on 28 November 2009 |
With regard to next summer’s floral displays, general themes for plant types and colours have been agreed with West Lothian Council. It is hoped that the co-ordinated approach, with clear differences from previous years, will be apparent to residents, to visitors, and to the judges for next year’s Beautiful Scotland competition (in which we have agreed to participate). A register of all significant planted areas in the town, identifying maintenance responsibility, has been drawn up, and Burgh Beautiful’s 2010 plant requirements have been ordered via the Council in order to achieve economies of scale.
It has been agreed to donate £1,000 of Burgh Beautiful money towards the full cost of providing all 50 of next summer’s ‘community-funded’ floral hanging baskets (which received funding from the Linlithgow & Bo’ness Rotary Club last summer and this winter). Also, the campaign is looking towards larger-scale community landscaping or planting scheme for each of the coming years – perhaps a long, snake-like flowerbed on the western grass verge of Preston Road, just south of the canal, in 2010, and a large scale rockery on the north side of Mains Road near the leisure centre roundabout in 2011. Both schemes would require fuller discussion with the Council, but they would have a big impact and hopefully attract considerable community interest and involvement.
Burgh Beautiful is always looking for new volunteers and new ideas for improving the town. If you are tempted to lend a hand, why not contact me, Chris Long or anyone else involved?
Ron Smith
Chairman, Burgh Beautiful
28 November 2009
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