ENTRIES were up on last year, and this year’s Petersfield in Bloom saw some newcomers taking gold awards.

Graham Fripp and wife Sandra, from Willow Drive in Broadway Park, are celebrating their first award win.

The couple have only lived there three years, since downsizing and retiring from Farnham, and Graham got the job of park manager.

He looks after all the public spaces there but only entered the competition when colleague Pam in the Ting Dene office pushed him.

“She even phoned up to make sure I had,” he said.

Willow Drive also won silver in the Street/Part of Street category. “We love it here,” said Sandra. “It’s very friendly; super neighbours.”

Winton House is also celebrating a top win – taking gold in the Best Public Service Building category.

Trustee and head gardener Janet Cornix, who leads a band of volunteers, said she is “chuffed to bits” about the win. “Last year we got a bronze which was disappointing but we worked our socks off and now we’ve got a gold,” she said.

“I think a lot of people in Petersfield don’t realise we’ve got a garden here. The Pop-in Cafe has tables and chairs that we put outside in good weather so people can take their drinks out into the garden.

“We also hire out the garden for events because it’s so safe. It’s a lovely garden.”

Burgesmede House in Folly Lane meanwhile is used to winning – it got another gold for the Best Garden in a Care Home – the home’s ninth win in ten years.

Keith Vine (78) has been caring for the garden for many years, his pride being the white hydrangea Annabelle.

“The judges asked for a cutting,” he said proudly. There is a vegetable patch, greenhouses, a wild area, as well as containers full of bedding plants.

Fellow resident Susan Bilson holds a weekly bridge morning which pays for all the plants, and other residents help with watering which is quite a task when you consider several of them are over 90 years old.

Keith said: “I just want my ladies when they get up in the morning and draw their curtains to see colour. When I first came here there was nothing. Now, it’s full of flowers and I love it.”

But Keith has been diagnosed with cancer and is finding it too tiring to continue his labour of love. He says if anyone wants to volunteer a bit of help once a week with watering and weeding he’d be very grateful.

Cathy Robinson’s bed and breakfast in Marden Way is also a regular winner with her immaculate front garden. This year she collected her winner’s plaque sporting a bandaged finger as she had managed to prune herself while cutting roses .

Mackarness and Lunt scooped gold in the Commercial (non retail) Frontage category. Rowlands Funeral Services won two golds – for Retail Frontage and Basket/Container on a Commercial Property.

Funeral director Marsha Vincent said: “People often just stop and admire the flowers, or take pictures. I think it’s very calming – good for the soul.”

Once again, in an unbroken run of golds going back more than 15 years, 14-25 Alderfield is celebrating another win. Marian Hiscock, who displays the awards on her wall, said: “I nearly didn’t enter this year; thought we’d let someone else win.”

Petersfield Infant School took gold in the School/Youth Garden Project category and also scooped the Environmental Award.

The Square Brewery pub took gold in the Public House/Restaurant/Cafe/ Guest House category.

The Petersfield in Bloom awards ceremony will be held on September 30.