Councillors and the street scenes teams from the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk have been taking the Anglia in Bloom judges on a tour of West Norfolk.
King’s Lynn was the first to be seen on Thursday 18 July. Borough councillor Elizabeth Nockolds took the judges on a tour of the town.
In Tower Gardens Julie Williams and Jo Reynolds from Soroptimist’s King’s Lynn explained the planting they had done in the gardens, alongside Rachel Williams and David Taylor who worked with local school children on projects in the Tommy Garden, including creating the little Tommy soldiers. President of the Rotary Club of King’s Lynn, Steve Roberts, pointed out their work. John Hayes from the Gaywood Valley Conservation Group and Phillip Pole also discussed the work they have done in the borough.
On Friday 19 July it was the turn of Hunstanton and Downham Market to be seen
Borough councillor Carol Bower showed the judges why she thought the town deserved another gold award, while town councillor Adrian Winnington pointed out the planting that had taken place to increase insects, including bees, into the town and the community orchard work. The Hunstanton Heritage Garden Friends and adopt a bedders joined the judges in Esplanade Gardens too.
In Downham Market, Borough Councillor Colin Sampson was joined by Deputy Mayor Jenny Groom and other town councillors and In Bloom committee members. The judges were particularly interested in the community orchard and the development of the allotments. After touring areas including the railway station, The Willows Nature Reserve, memorial garden and orchard they were serenaded by a musician at the Town Hall.
On Monday 22 July Bircham was judged. This is the first time they have entered Anglia in Bloom.
We find out the results from the judging at an awards ceremony held in St Ives, Cambridgeshire on 10 September.
People planning to buy a puppy or kitten from a breeder are being encouraged by The Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk to ask to see their licence and meet their mum in a new campaign.
The licence number should be displayed on any advert, web page or facebook page. New guidance on buying a pet can be found at www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/
More people than ever before enjoyed The Searles Soap Box Derby in Hunstanton on Sunday 22 September.
The event, organised by the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk, returned to the town in 2017 and has got more popular each year. 44 teams raced down the new, faster, course that started at the town hall and finished near the bandstand overlooking the sea.
Teams travelled from all over the country to take part, including racers from Newark, Wellingborough and Milton Keynes.
This year, for the first time, there was a speed trap on the course. Some karts travelled at more than 30 miles per hour. The fastest vehicle on the day was driven by Ed Napolitano in the Hunstanton District Round Table kart. Completing the course in 31 seconds on his first run and 28 seconds on the second.
Mods and Rockers Classic Scooter and Motorbike Meet returned to King’s Lynn for the fifth time on Sunday 11 August.
A full day of entertainment was presented by the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk in the Tuesday Market Place.
The event has become popular with scooter and bike enthusiasts, along with fans of the clothes and music of the era. More bikers turned up this year, the first 100 receiving a unique patch.
Event manager, Abbie Panks, said: "We extended the size of the bike area for this year and that was also filled so we saw an increase on last year's numbers which is very positive. We also had bikers travelling to King's Lynn for the event from Leicestershire, Nottingham and Essex."
Two buildings in King’s Lynn have been listed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England, in recognition of their historic and architectural importance.
One of England’s earliest reinforced concrete buildings, on St James Street near Greyfriars Tower, has been listed at Grade II, as has the former Lloyd's Bank at No1 Tuesday Market Place.
The listings are a part of the Heritage Action Zone scheme in King’s Lynn which is working to make the most of the modern medieval town’s historic buildings and areas to boost the local economy.
Heritage Minister Michael Ellis said: "These new listings in King’s Lynn prove that heritage treasures are not just ancient monuments, medieval churches or Georgian houses but that they are found in the most unlikely of places.
“This is a superb example of how buildings of historic importance can be used by local businesses and I am pleased it will now be protected for future generations.”
Community participation and environmental responsibility are the themes for this year's Britain in Bloom competition which was launched in Hunstanton
Volunteers, and representatives from businesses, local schools, Scouts, Hunstanton Town Council, Civic Society, the allotments and community orchard were invited to a special tea party at Hunstanton Town Hall to celebrate Hunstanton's achievement of Gold in Anglia in Bloom and Gold Coastal Winner in Britain in Bloom. The event also marked the beginning of the 2019 campaign.
Cllr Elizabeth Nockolds, Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk cabinet member for Culture, Heritage and Health, said: "Taking part in Anglia in Bloom and Britain in Bloom is a real community event. We rely on the contribution of local volunteers, community groups and organisations and local businesses to make it successful. The efforts that are made in Hunstanton have seen repeated success in the competition and we felt it only right to celebrate this achievement and thank those involved in making it happen."