This is the market town of Bridgnorth

Bridgnorth Station plays its part in the presentation of the town to visitors, and is one of the qualification requirements for the town in the section of the contest which is judged at the regional level of Britain in Bloom.

In the Bridgnorth in Bloom contest, the station was recognised this year with second place in the Commercial Premises section - not bad in our current circumstances!

The standard of entry in this local contest is high, as is indicated by the result of the regional judging for 2007, as reported by this extract from the Bridgnorth Journal:

"Bridgnorth has swept the board for the first time in the prestigious Heart of England in Bloom competition. The town is celebrating after being named category and overall winner as well as scooping the gold award. Judges who visited Bridgnorth earlier in the summer said the town 'looked immaculate and sparkled in the sunshint'. Bridgnorth will now be vying for bigger honours in the national Britain in Bloom competition in 2008.

On the last occasion in the national contest, in 2002, Bridgnorth won the Britain in Bloom 'town category' award at Aberdeen, and went on to compete in the Entente Florale contest in Europe. The Town Clerk said 'It is not only about flowers - it is the partnership with the schools and the district council sponsorship of flowers, as well as keeping the streets clean and removing chewing gum from pavements. Also vital to the success has been the dedication and enthusiasm of the town council's direct labour force, helped by volunteers.'

Among the areas the judges spotlighted were the cemetary, flowers in the Castle Grounds and on The Quayside, Lavington Gardens, and road sides, especially Kidderminster Road, as well as the Bandon island and Hospital Walk. They also praised the effects of floral displays throughout Bridgnorth, the high standard of overall cleanliness, community involvement and efforts of volunteers, level of public awareness and support."

One of the features of the station on the day of the judges' visit was a flower bedecked 7714 Panier tank standing in the platform. Perhaps this proved a memorable trigger in the memory of the judges? Entry of the town into the national competition is an encouragement that respects the hard work by many people that goes into keeping the station presentable against the usual backdrop of the premises in use fourteen hours per day, seven days per week. 2008 is going to need to be something extra special!

and here's how to get to Bridgnorth