On behalf of the Windermere & Bowness Chamber of Trade, I would like to give a big 'thank you' to all those traders, residents and the Windermere Town Council for a truly memorable display of horticultural splendour.

I cannot remember seeing the two communities display such a rich and vibrant colours as there has been this year.

The public realm displays have been commented on by a number of our foreign visitors and I do know of one residential property having over 30 Japanese visitors taking photos of their garden during the summer.

Grateful thanks should be also extended to those businesses who sponsored the public hanging baskets and troughs. Without their generous gesture there might not have been so many floral displays throughout the community.

Windermere Town Council has to be congratulated on its well-run and timed award evening. Congratulations also to the winners in the various Windermere in Bloom categories and the award winners for It's Your Neighbourhood (IYN) and Cumbria in Bloom.

It would do the community no harm to see more entries into the IYN campaign as this would bring residents, businesses etc closer together with a common bond of 'in bloom.'

Adrian G. Faulkner

Secretary, Windermere & Bowness Chamber of Trade