An all-out campaign to turn Witham into an award-winning floral town went into gear this week.

Every business in the town's main street is being urged to join in and turn the town into a riot of colour.

Organisers are also appealing for residents to show their front gardens and for the town's schools to enjoy the sweet smell of flowers and success.

Three firms have, for the first time, helped create crystal awards for winners: Tesco Crystal award for the best overall front garden, Safeway Crystal award for best window box, and Sedgwick Crystal award for best school.

Witham Town Council has boosted the competition's coffers with a £5,000 donation, and Sedgwick and Old Mill Nurseries are sponsoring the planting of roundabouts in the town.

Margaret Robbins, a marketing consultant now working in conjunction with the town council and community groups including Witham Horticultural Society, said that a new-look organisation has been set up to help promote the competition and "reach out to everyone in the town to help turn Witham into an attractive environment that benefits everyone working and living here as well as ensuring that visitors receive a picturesque welcome."

This week, every business in the town's street, Newland Street, was given a glossy colour brochure, designed by Margaret and her fellow consultant on the Witham in Bloom committee, graphic designer Angus MacWillson.

"Even the new logo, which depicts the letter 'W' for Witham as the stems of three flowers, prevents a more modern image," said Margaret. It is aimed at encouraging firms, individuals and organisations to participate and at attracting more sponsors, she said.

"Window boxes fixed to office windows, hanging baskets on shop fronts, floral roundabouts, imaginative planting in industrial areas and new projects for schools will together give a quite magical and spectacular effect."

The awards ceremony is on October 2, and Witham Operatic Society, Witham Choral Society and the St Andrew's Barber Shop Quartet will be putting on an evening choral festival of flowers, with songs chosen with a floral theme.

"It will be a fantastic evening for winners and for companies which have sponsored awards, to see everyone's efforts culminate in this way," said Margaret.

Judges will make their Witham in Bloom decisions in early June, and for the wider Anglia in Bloom contest in July.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.