welcomes the judgesOF

Yorkshire in bloom

SPRING 2014

A Brief History of the Village

The history of Bramham goes back to Roman Times when it was important because ofits location on the junction of the main north/south east/west trading routes. This was

the junction of the Great North Road and a lesser known route from York to Ilkley.

Its importance as a major stopping place on The Great North Road continued well into

the 1800's but the surrounding area was very different to what we see today. It was

described as a wild and desolate place, the haunt of footpads and highwaymen.

Battles during the Wars of the Roses and the Civil War were fought in the area andcasualties were buried in the cemetery of All Saints' Church, the oldest building in the

Village.

In more recent times Bramham may be recognised Nationally by two major events

taking place in Bramham Park, The Bramham Horse Trials and The Leeds Carling Rock

Festival.

Why do we enter Yorkshire in Bloom?Initially we wondered ourselves!! But the response from the village answered the

question for us. Not only were the residents supportive but they were also quite

excited about being part of Yorkshire in Bloom.

So here we are saying welcome to our Village.

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CONTENTS

The origins of Bramham in Bloom

What we have done so far

What was achieved last year

Route Map

Major Projects

Overall achievements since 2005

Our Supporters

Future Plans

Press Cuttings

Yorkshire in Bloom asked us to cover in our brochure the

various categories in their guidelines and this we have tried to

do. We think that we have covered everything required, but

just in case! At the back we have included a revue in

accordance with the specific guidelines given by Yorkshire in

Bloom.

Hopefully this will be a quick and easy reference if you feel

that something has not been included in the main body of the

brochure or on route.

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THE ORIGINS OF BRAMHAM IN BLOOM

January 2014Issue 120

All Saints’ ChurchBramham Parish News

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Opened eighteen flower beds and two shrub beds.

Acquired and planted four stone troughs at the Church.

Provided and planted seven hay racks.

Introduced eight new planters to the War Memorial.

Provided four planters outside the Garage.

Provided part of the funding for a “Bio Pond” at the Primary School.

Landscaped an area where a wall had collapsed.

Opened a Wildlife Area.

Renovated an ancient Cattle Ramp and surrounding area.

Secured grants of over £10,000.

Obtained sponsorship of around £1600 per annum.

What else have we done:-

Held a children's Treasure Hunt linked to Bramham in Bloom.

Gave a talk on Bramham in Bloom and the Environment to the Village School

and to the Bramham Yorkshire Countrywomen's Association.

Planted some 25,000 bulbs, daffodils, bluebells, snowdrops, crocuses, tulips

and narcissi.

Organise an annual poster competition at the Primary School and in the Village

in support of our entry. Leeds Floral Initiative provided excellent prizes.

* Have a stall at the Bramham Gala selling plants and promoting our activities.

Assisted the organisers of the Gala by doing some strimming at the entrance

to the field.

See also Page 22

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REVIEW OF THE PAST YEAR

Floral Activities

Our aim was and still is to enhance the Village with suitable floral displays and deal with

environmental issues as they arise. Naturally this requires attention all year.

We feel, and from discussions with the residents, they also feel that the number and

type of floral displays is about right. This was what we intended as there was a genuine

feeling that whatever we did should not alter the character of the Village. Planting and

expansion for their own sake does not fit in with a village of this size and character.

There is, therefore, very little change over the last year although we have continued to

be active in the Village.

Obtained daffodil bulbs for Bramham Church.

School Yorkshire in Bloom Poster Competition.

Winners of the 2014 Poster Competition

With their prizes

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OVERALL ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE 2005

MAJOR PROJECTS

The Cattle Ramp

This area was badly neglected but has a significant historic value as it leads down from

the road that was the original “Great North Road”. There was another ramp in the Village

but sadly it has gone. The project was funded from several sources.

The Wildlife Area

The whole idea was to open up the area and change it as little as possible and hopefully

we have achieved this.

Paths and benches (of a rustic type) were put in together with bird and bat boxes. Areas

of trimmed branches etc were left as natural habitats.

The bark for the path (which generally gets washed away every winter!) was supplied by a

local tradesman free of charge.

The project was financed by the National Lottery.

UPGRADED BOTTLE BANK

Not only was this unsightly but other rubbish was left and rats had been seen in the area

which is close to the Primary School. A grant was obtained from East North East Man-

agement team and the work carried out by Leeds City Council.

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before after

Major Overall Achievements since 2005 -continued

CATTLE RAMP

Sponsors : Residents Collection in the Village Shop

Gardener : Helena Buck

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before after

before after

before after

Major Overall Achievements since 2005 -continued

WILDLIFE PRESERVATION AREA

JOINT UNDERTAKING WITH THE PARISH COUNCIL

AND LEEDS CITY COUNCIL

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OVERALL ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE 2005

SPRING IN BRAMHAM

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CLIFFORD ROAD ENTRANCE TO THE VILLAGE

Lyndon Road

Gardener:

Keith Howland

Sponsored by:-

Bramham Running Club

Gardener:Jeremy Kendall

supported by Jean Dale

Sponsored by:-

Wetherby Lions`

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before

after

before

after

Four Troughs Sponsored by:-

Gardeners:Mavis and Victor Wilson

In 2011 All Saints’ Church

received a special

Conservation Award from

Yorkshire in Bloom in

acknowledgement of the

work they do in the

Churchyard in relation to

conservation of both

flora and fauna.

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Sponsored by:- The Wetherby Lions

Gardeners: Ernest and Meryl Nichols

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Sponsored by:- Bramham Medical Centre

Gardener: Lynda Goddard

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Sponsored by:- Mrs Dorothy Clegg

Gardeners:Yvonne Gibson and Valerie Soper

Supported by Hazel and David Scott

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Gardeners: Sharon Wilson and Family

Wendy Watts and Family

Supported by Alex Skinner and Simon Kelly

Gardeners: Iris and Paul Smith

No Sponsor at this time

Sponsored by:- Edmunds Electrical

Brooke Babes and Thomlinsons Estate Agents.

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before after

Sponsored by:-

Bramham Running Club

Gardeners

Alison StJohn and family and Iris and Paul Smith

WETHERBY ROAD CORNER

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before

after

Sponsored by:

Silverwood

Plumbing Ltd

The Bayford Group,

And The Dog Walker

Gardeners:Vicky and Keith Innocent,

Jo Ogden and family

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after

before

The return of the

Village Pump

Donated by

Peggy Kitchen and

Dorothy Clegg

In memory of their husbands

Gardener: Peggy Kitchen

Gardeners:

Val Hall

Supported by Lynne and Paul Marshall

Gardeners: Pauline Jacobson

Supported by The Red Lion

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Sponsored by:

Gardeners:

Lynne & Paul Marshall

Sponsored by: Village Stores

Gardener: Valerie Soper

Sponsored by:

Gardeners:Crystal Macleod

Supported by The Garage

BRIDGE AREA

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Post Box Lyndon Road

Headley Lane Sign

YEDL Gates

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before

before

before after

after

after

COMMUNITY GARDEN

The possibility of a Community Garden was first raised by

Bramham in Bloom four years ago. And at last with co-operation

from the Community Action Group, Leeds City Council, our own

Parish Council and various grants it has now become a reality. It

will provide a very pleasant area to relax in for many years to

come.

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before

after

Bramham in Bloom SponsorsWe and the Village as a whole are very grateful to our sponsors who together contribute

around £1600 each year to support our floral displays.

Without their financial support very little of what we see today would have been

possible.

Other FundingWe have also been helped by financial support for specific capital expenditure and again

without this we would not have progressed to the stage that we are at now:-

Bramham Parish Council

Leeds City Council "Floral Initiative".

Leeds City Council "Leeds North East Area Management Team"

National Lottery

Bramham Community Fund

Donations and a Coffee Morning

Donations in a collection jar in the Village Stores “Friends of Bramham in Bloom

The Gardeners and SupportersWe have a dedicated band of gardeners plus supporters who deal with our day to day

business. Forever cheerful, except when plants get stolen from the beds!!, they have

made a real impact on the appearance of the Village in a relatively short space of time.

Without them none of this would have been possible.

Bramham Primary SchoolThe children at the school are a very enthusiastic group, they have their own Bramham

in Bloom bed as well as many of their own projects. An amazing number of 36 children

took part in the poster competition. (See Page 31 for an example)

All Saints’ ChurchFollows the guidelines of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

The general feeling is that the development within the Village is about right. There was

never any intention of changing the nature of the Village, only enhancing it and the focus

will now be on developing and improving the displays that have been established.

There will still be some changes:-

A continuing programme of bulb planting.

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PRESS

CUTTINGS

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YORKSHIRE IN BLOOM GUIDELINES

FOR BROCHURE CONTENT

A1 & A2 - Horticultural achievement and Practice

1) The Committee decide on the design, colour scheme and location of any new beds.

2) Deciding on the number of plants was initially difficult but with experience this has

now been refined and there are few problems.

3) Shrubs have been introduced into the various beds as appropriate to enhance the

annual planting and for sustainability.

4) Two specific shrub beds have been planted and the ramp bed incorporates various

shrubs for flower, foliage and bark effects.

5) The real focal point because of its closeness to the centre of the village, the bus

stop, and one of the Pubs is the Cattle Ramp and Beck bed, This area never fails to

attract comments from visitors and the local residents.

6) Watering, dead heading, weeding, and feeding of the hayracks and planters is down

to the individual gardeners and we have a dedicated bunch!! Pruning and pest

control is undertaken by the Committee. Where possible the Beck is used as a

source of water.

7) No fertilisers are used on the beds - only organic manure.

8) All plants are obtained from Leeds City Council Red Hall because of the quality and

their delivery system.

A3 - Residential and Community Gardening

1) Church has a specific policy for maintaining the Church Yard under guidance from

the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

2) The Senior Citizens Centre Garden is the responsibility of the Parish Council.

3) Since our entry into Yorkshire in Bloom it has been noticeable that hayracks and

hanging baskets have started to appear in the Village.

4) The school has a flower bed to offer support and we have provided bulbs for

planting. The school in general is very focused on all aspect of the environment.

5) Two residents have offered their gardens to be visited by the Judges.

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YORKSHIRE IN BLOOM GUIDELINES FOR BROCHURE

CONTENT - continued

A4 - Business Areas and Premises

1) The majority of sponsors are from the Village.

2) The garage is a sponsor and also supplies water and help from an employee to water

the containers

3) The Village Stores sponsors Bramham in Bloom, has a collection jar on the counter

and acts as a post box for us within the Village.

3) The Red Lion Pub, although not a sponsor, do their own thing every year to good

effect from the point of view of enhancing the Square. They have also taken on

responsibility for watering the War Memorial in Summer which is a significant

task.

A5 Green Spaces

1) Leeds City Council carry out regular grass cutting

2) We enhance the cutting round the beds

3) Two residents on their own initiative cut, weed and feed two large verges to lawn

standard.

4) Beech Trees have been planted on an entrance road to the Village. (In the past all

the roads into the Village were lined with Beech Trees).

5) Created a Wildlife Preservation Area.

6) 25,000 various bulbs have been planted. Daffodils, Crocuses, Snowdrops and English

bluebells.

B1 - Conservation and Biodiversity

1) Wildlife Area

2) Provided some funding for a Biodiverse pond at the Primary School

3) The Churches Environmental project

4) Beech Trees planted.

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YORKSHIRE IN BLOOM GUIDELINES

FOR BROCHURE CONTENT - continued

B2 - Resource Management

1) The Bottle Bank.

2) All perennial plants used in the beds (mainly autumn planting) are offered to the

residents before replanting. Plants have also been given to the local Golf Club and

Bowling Club.

3) We do not have the manpower to do our own composting and compost is passed to

the Allotments. Annual plants are taken to the local recycling plant.

B3 - Local Heritage

1) Cattle ramp.

2) A Parish Council project was a commemorative plaque to commemorate the 600th

year of the Battle of Bramham Moor.

3) Produced a book of walks round Bramham which includes some history of the Village

and surrounding area.

B4 - Local Environment Quality

1) Number of regular litter pickers, who do this as part of a walk.

2) Vigorous campaign in the Parish Magazine with regard to litter and dog fouling. This

coupled with the Yorkshire in Bloom entry has had a noticeable effect.

3) Silt regularly dug out of the Beck.

B5 - Pride of Place

1) Had a dilapidated fence replaced.

2) New Post box.

3) New Road sign.

4) Refurbished a bench.

5) Created a flower bed where a wall had collapsed.

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YORKSHIRE IN BLOOM GUIDELINES

FOR BROCHURE CONTENT - continued

C1 - Development and Continuity

1) Sound management structure with a commitment to innovation but bearing in mind

not to over-develop and change the nature of the Village.

2) Committed Volunteers.

C2 - Communication and Education

1) Regular monthly communication via the Parish Magazine.

2) Press coverage.

3) Close liaison with the Primary School.

4) Some beds looked after by families.

5) Stall at the Village Gala to promote activities.

C3 - Community Involvement

1) All residents actively encouraged to join us.

C4 - Year-round Involvement

1) Monthly Communication

2) Gala Stall.

3) School and Village children’s Poster Competition.

4) Year round gardening.

5) Press coverage as necessary.

C5 - Funding and Support

1) Virtually all day-to-day expenditure covered by sponsorship. There was a deliberate

policy not to fund-raise in a very active way as it is a small Village with fund raising

already in place for many worthy causes.

2) Capital items through grants from Leeds City Council or The National Lottery.

3) Collection Jar in Village Stores.

4) The Parish Council gives support if we cannot get funding from other sources.

5) There is a Community Fund provided by the organisers of the Leeds Festival, which

we can call upon if necessary.

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