Winner of the 2008 Yorkshire in Bloom Award

Staff  at  the  Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate  are  celebrating after winning

a Gold Award in the 2008 Yorkshire in Bloom Awards.  It is only the second time the

Yorkshire Agricultural Society has entered the prestigious annual competition. Last year

the Society, best known  as organisers  of the Great Yorkshire Show and its sister event

  Countryside Live,  took a Silver Gilt Award but this year's Yorkshire Rose Gold Award

in  the  business  premises  section will take  pride  of  place  at  the Society's

headquarters at the showground.

Susan  Hibbert, HR Manager at the YAS said the Society was delighted  and thanked everyone

 for their hard work in helping achieve the accolade.  "This  is  a  fantastic  result

for our second entry  into  Yorkshire  In Bloom  and,  as  the Judges recognised, the

success is  a  reflection  of everyone's efforts into a high standard of maintenance

across  all  areas of the showground." she said.  "This  is  an  excellent result and we

intend to make the  most  of  this opportunity to tell everyone about the fantastic

grounds we have here for all visitors to the showground to enjoy, "she said.

 One  of the features of the Society's entry were flower tubs in the shape of  '150'

 to  mark the 150th Great Yorkshire Show, which took  place  in July.

The Society spends all year maintaining and caring for the site, as well as carrying

out year round work.   The Judges praised the Society for its teamwork.

"Everyone is involved to achieve a high standard of maintenance, ie grass cutting,

 woodland areas, hedges,  sustainable planting. The high results gained are by the

efforts of  a  hard-working team which is ongoing all the year round for  all  to

enjoy," said the judges.  The  judges  particularly  mentioned the showground's

 colourful  hanging baskets, the high standards of rose beds, the Pavilions of Harrogate

area and the complete lack of litter.