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Hungerford in Bloom 2025 Award Ceremony: A Celebration of Beauty, Community, and Creativity

This year’s Hungerford in Bloom was a joyful celebration of creativity, care, and community spirit. Residents, schools, businesses, and groups showcased their gardening talents, transforming our town into a vibrant tapestry of colour and life. Each year,Hungerford inBloom reminds us of the power of nature to uplift, inspire, and unite. From colourful front gardens to imaginative courtyard spaces, thriving school plots to lovingly tended community displays—every entry is a testament to the care and passion of our residents.

Award Winners 2025

Front Garden
1^st Place was awarded to Sue & Graham Tucker – A masterpiece of colour and originality, featuring vibrant borders, hanging baskets, and thoughtful landscaping.
2^nd Place awarded to Brian Talmage – A beautifully maintained garden with clever use of space and eye-catching hanging baskets.
Joint 3^rd Place was awarded to June Cannon – A secluded haven with orange roses, purple petunias, and clematis and Jane Buckle – Cheerful and water-wise, bursting with bright blooms.

Back Garden
1^st Place was awarded to Anita Campbell & Rita Phillips – A garden in full bloom with zoned areas, textured walkways, and a covered pergola. A stunning mix of plants, vegetables, and original design.
2^nd Place awarded to Sue & Graham Tucker – A calming retreat with a beautiful pond and immaculate layout.
3^rd Place awarded to Barry Hatton – A magical space with a waterfall, tree ferns, and a touch of fantasy.

Courtyard
1^st Place was awarded to Haley Weir – A bijou garden full of charm, featuring bonsai trees, water features, and shaded seating.

Commercial
1st place and winner of the Public House Cup Railway Tavern – A creative display using beer barrels and vibrant planters, showcasing imaginative reuse.
2nd Place awarded to Hungerford HUB – A wildlife-friendly space with inviting benches and thoughtful planting.

3rd Place awarded to Tutti Pole – Practical and innovative, with a self-watering herb garden and clever use of recycled containers.

Schools
1^st Place awarded to John O’Gaunt School – A vibrant and educational garden tended by Year 7 SEND pupils, featuring composting, poly tunnels, and a Bug Hotel.
2^nd Place awarded to Hungerford Nursery School – A colourful and imaginative space with painted tyres, wellies, a new garden featuring a village grounds and lots of sunflowers.

Community Groups
1^st Place was awarded to Smarten Up Hungerford (SUH) – Stunning hanging baskets and planters that bring colour and joy to the town.
2^nd Place awarded to Crown Mews – Beautifully maintained grounds with lavender, wisteria, and terraced areas.

Heart & Soul Award
Awarded to Scott West – for his heartfelt garden filled with sunflowers, lavender, and a welcoming seat—a true gift to the community. Tragically, Scott passed away on the morning of the ceremony. We were honoured to welcome Scott’s family, who graciously accepted the award on his behalf and fulfilled his wishes. In a touching gesture, Scott’s family has requested an award be created in his memory. We are pleased to support this and will work with them to honour his legacy in a meaningful way.

Margaret Wilson Trophy – most Eco-Friendly Garden

Awarded by the judges to Graham & Sue Tucker – well deserved winners for their use of water butts, grey water, good drainage, beautiful and graceful pond attracting aquatic wildlife.

Newcomer Award

Awarded to Barry Hatton, a well deserving winner - a magical garden with a waterfall and pond reminiscent of ‘Lord of the rings, adding a touch of fantasy. The judges loved your originality and the abundance of plans in a compact space. Very organic and natural.

A Town in Full Bloom

To all our winners—and to everyone who entered—thank you. You have made Hungerford more beautiful, more vibrant, and more connected. Your efforts remind us that gardening is not just about plants, but about people, passion, and pride in our community.

Let’s continue to nurture our gardens and each other.

Congratulations to you all!

Our sincere thanks go to the wonderful businesses in Hungerford who kindly donated prizes for this prestigious event:

· Three Swans Hotel

· Littlecote House Hotel

· Downgate Public House

· Naked Grape

· Hungerford Book Shop

· Terrace View Café

· Sarah Styles of Hungerford

· Wendy Lewis Flowers

· Cooper & Cooper aka Lou Lou

· Nia Day

· Tescos

· Garden Art Plus

· Dobbies Garden Centre

Links for the latest editions of Penny Post's coverage for Hungerford Town Council Click Here

To fill out form online click HERE

Previous awardees:

Introducing Ridgeway Council - part of a two unitary council option for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire - West Berkshire Council

A proposal for two new unitary Councils - Oxford and Shires, and Ridgeway - West Berkshire Council

HTC UPDATE May 2025

We have said a sad farewell to Sgt Dan Lond, whose last shift with the team was the 2^nd May. Sgt Lond really enjoyed his time in Hungerford, attending many events and getting to know the community. I’m sure he will be greatly missed

Going forward the Hungerford & Downlands team will be sharing Sgt Jo Willoughby with the Thatcham Town team.

On the 4^th April several members of the team attended the Mayors Reception. Unfortunately, a few of them were called away so their visit was a brief one.

On 24^th April PCSO King and Bremner attended Hungerford Primary School for a talk with the Foundation year on how the Police help us. We were asked some great questions and had a very captive audience.

On the 29^th April there was a scene watch in place in the alleyway between Redwood House and Priory Road. I am unable to comment further at this time whilst the investigation is still ongoing.

On the 30^th April PCSO King and Bremner organised a Tool Marking event at Screwfix. This was well attended by local tradesman.

The team continue to focus their activities on tackling drug dealing in the Hungerford and Downlands area with some recent positive results. We continue to encourage you to report your concerns to build our intelligence picture.

The Team

The current set up of the Hungerford and Downlands Neighbourhood Police Team is 1 x Inspector, 1 x Sergeant, 3 x Police Constables and 4 x Police Community Support Officers.

The team are contactable by email, but this should not be used in an emergency or for reporting crime as it is not monitored 24/7.

HungerfordandDownlandsNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Please keep reporting incidents to us via 101, the TVP website (www.thamesvalley.police.uk) or 999, in an emergency.

All very welcome to attend Hungerford' Annual Town Meeting at the Town Hall 7.00pm. Refreshments will be served from 6.30pm

Click here for the full results of the Informal Housing Consultation

The Neighbourhood Plan is making progress. We have a draft text of the Plan and the detailed evaluations of the housing allocations completed.

The Plan covers the whole parish for the period 2024 to 2041 and will be used to plan for Hungerford’s future and determine planning applications alongside the West Berkshire Local Plan.

The Plan Vision

Hungerford sits at the heart of the North Wessex Downs AONB and is treasured for being an historic market town set within beautiful and accessible countryside and waterways.

The residents of Hungerford seek to work together to embrace constructive change that ensures a vibrant, robust and sustainable economy that will enhance their prosperity and provide an affordable and nurturing environment for current and future generations.

This should be achieved whilst conserving Hungerford’s natural and manmade heritage and enhancing its strong sense of being a caring community and a fulfilling place to live.

There are chapters in the Plan under the following headings:

• Housing
• Employment and economy
• Getting about
• Leisure, Wellbeing, Public Safety and Learning
• Our heritage
• Climate change and biodiversity

In each of these there are aims, objectives and proposals.

Housing Site Allocation

The Neighbourhood Plan has to allocate sites to deliver a minimum of 55 dwellings to comply with the West Berkshire Emerging Local Plan. If it doesn’t, then the Emerging Local Plan will do this and the community will have less say over which sites are chosen.

After careful and detailed evaluation of many sites around the town several sites were identified that represented sustainable and deliverable options.

Informal consultations to obtain residents views and comments took place in The Corn Exchange building on:

· Wednesday November 1^st at the Town Hall 2pm to 4pm and 7pm to 9pm

· Saturday November 4^th at the Magistrates Room 10am to Midday

Alternatively residents could respond via the online consultation. Housing Feedback Form. The closing date for comments was by 4pm on Monday 13th November 2023.

For the background please refer to the attached Informal Sites Consultation document below for details of preferred housing sites and options. Also below is the Draft Site Assessment report which explains how the sites have been selected. 

UPDATE: We have now analysed the results and a report of the informal housing consultation is attached.

Way Forward

The main next stages for the Plan are:

• Complete the Draft Plan
• Send this to West Berkshire Council for comments
• Formal six week consultation, early 2024
• Public examination, mid 2024
• Public referendum on the Plan, autumn 2024

H2036 are pleased to advise public consultations will be held in the Corn Exchange, on potential new housing sites for Hungerford, on the following dates:

Wednesday 30^th June 7pm to 9pm

Sunday 4^th July 10.30am to 1pm

There will be further dates for public consultation during the summer. Details of these will follow.

We encourage residents to attend to view the exhibition which will be the same on both dates. Comments can be left in the box provided or you can comment online if you would prefer. All the information and ability for residents to provide their feedback will be made available on the www.hungerford2036.info website by the 30^th June 2021.

The supply of additional market and affordable homes is a key part of what the Hungerford Plan will need to cover and, in due course, seek approval for through a local referendum.

https://www.facebook.com/804369606265158/videos/792291731319977

Click on the link above to view our Virtual Christmas Light Switch-on

HTC is pleased to announce Hungerford’s beautiful Christmas Lights will continue to twinkle throughout December and into January despite Covid-19. This year we feel it is important for the community that we raise a bit of Christmas cheer and do something fun. To avoid crowds, we had a Virtual Christmas Lights Switch-On event involving a number of local community groups appearing on a community Christmas video which can be viewed in the comfort of your own homes via various social media sites.