Fame for the Tripe Baths

Since our posting on the 12th December about the fate of the tripe baths, we have been contacted via email by an Italian group who run their own blog that is full of facts and stories all about tripe!
They were very interested in our story and have featured our story on their Italian site! Who would have thought that Pudsey`s fame would travel so far?
If you click on the link below it will take you direct to their tripe blog....you may need to use Google translator to translate some of it.
It just goes to show that everything is of interest to someone!

http://troppatrippa.blogspot.com/2009/12/salvate-le-vasche-del-trippaio.html

The fate of the tripe baths!

Many Pudsey folk may be completely unaware of the two old tripe baths that for years have been in situ in front of the leisure centre and lovingly planted up each year.

There is history attached to these baths as they once lived in a shop owned by Job Ross in Lowtown, he was the local tripe dresser and the tripe he would sell to his customers was washed in the baths. This was many years ago and after he passed on they were given a new home as flower pots...bizarre maybe, but some folk are very attached to them.

Now with the building of the new bus station, the baths had to come out and Pudsey In Bloom have been trying their best to avoid them being destroyed and are trying to find them a new home. A local building company, Farmac, have kindly offered to move them for us and store them until we can find them a new home.

Keep checking for updates on the tripe baths!!

Here`s a photo of them in their old home in front of the leisure centre:

And in a rather sorry state, amongst the rubble that will be Pudsey`s new bus station:

That`s another job done!

All the barrier troughs were today planted up with a selection of primulas, violas and spring flowering bulbs. The displays should bring a bit of cheer to Pudsey over the coming months whilst it undergoes the disruption that will be caused by the building of a new bus station that has now started and is not expected to be completed until September 2010!

We also planted two japanese acer trees, one in each library bed, kindly donated by one of our members.

Our newly acquired folding wheelbarrow bought with group funds, colour coordinated as well!

Article in Pudsey Times about our Silver Award.

An article has been posted in the Pudsey Times about our Silver Award in this year`s Yorkshire In bloom competition.
Read about it here:

http://www.pudseytoday.co.uk/news/Pudsey-celebrates-Yorkshire-in-Bloom.5704155.jp

Autumn Tidying.

A couple of members met to tidy up the Lowtown beds; now that the benches are finally in place, the flowers and grasses needed cutting back, although some like the Stipa were left for their ornamental seed heads. Unfortunately, mainly due to the bin strikes, there was also quite a lot of litter around, so this was bagged up too!

























We are hoping to take on board one of the comments from the Yorkshire In Bloom judges who suggested that we should plant up the borders with lavender to compliment the blue hydrangeas, so we are already propogating some cuttings, but we would be most grateful to anyone out there reading this blog who has any spare lavender plants they would like to donate to us.



We have also been busy preparing the barrier troughs for the winter planting, and today we made a start by emptying them of all the summer bedding which is now starting to die off.

Once we have bought the primulas and violas to supplement the bulbs that we managed to save from last years display, we will be meeting again to replant them.

Some updates as promised!

Whilst I have time, here are couple of updates I have been meaning to post from our summer activities:

Firstly, after awarding The Fleece Inn at Fartown as the winner of the "Pudsey Pubs In Bloom 2009 competition", the group were pleased to present the landlord with a winners trophy, this will be presented to the winner in each subsequent year, and very attractive it is too!

And also, remember the old benches that we replaced this year in our Lowtown seating area with the money we got from the the YPN community awards grants?.... well who would think that this was one of those benches? One of our members has revamped the old bench and we have now re-sited it on land near to Pudsey Parish Church, it looks like new!

More news later...................

Judges comments on Pudsey following our SILVER award.

Category 2D Town

Pudsey Silver Rose Award
Spring: Silver Rose Award Summer: Silver Rose Award

Introduction (introductory remarks from the judges):

The determination and fighting spirit of the Pudsey in Bloom group is clearly evident through the town, the newly sponsored hanging baskets and barrier baskets have had a positive impact on the town. We were escorted around by a great team of enthusiastic volunteers who have the right sort of get up and go to help continually improve the town for years to come; showing that with a little determination lots can be achieved. The additional volunteers to the group and the work done to secure business support as well as good floral displays throughout the town make Pudsey a worthy entry into the competition.

SECTION A – Horticultural Achievement
Areas of Achievement: The newly designed and planted garden at the Baptist Church was very pleasant, colourful and well maintained. The hanging baskets throughout the town were good and in particular the displays around the sports centre. The uniqueness of the hanging basket brackets were a great innovation showing the business and community sponsors and supporters names. Pudsey Park formal gardens and summer bedding displays are a credit to the gardening staff on site, it was also refreshing to see that the two gardeners on site had designed and planted their own bed in their own unique styles. The new additional wooden planters are a welcome splash of colour in the town centre as well as the barrier planters to the front of the funeral directors.
Areas for Improvement: Rose beds within Sparrow Park were looking sparse and in need of updating, look into prairie planting if future funding is available, or look into replacing the roses with more formal planting as has been done in Pudsey Park. In the Lowtown seating area once the new benches have been installed, and if future funding allows it would be nice to see the edges of the paths planted with lavender or fragrant plants which will complement the beautiful purple and blue hydrangeas currently surrounding the area.

SECTION B – Environmental Responsibility
Areas of Achievement: Artwork to the side of the sports centre depicting local history and heritage of Pudsey, and the unusually planted up tripe bath in front of the centre. Pudsey Park bandstand was surrounded beautifully with stunning hanging baskets. The judges were impressed with the Lowtown school wildlife gardens and ‘bug hotel’ made up of things found and given by the parents, teachers and children themselves.
Areas for Improvement: Management of weed throughout the town, especially on areas not in council ownership needs to be pursued, it may be an idea to engage with the businesses that have sponsored and supported the hanging baskets to take more of an active role in caring for their environment.

SECTION C – Community Participation
Areas of Achievement: The uniqueness of the hanging basket brackets were a great innovation showing the business and community sponsors and supporters names. Barrier planters outside the post office bought and displayed through sponsorship monies from local business. The judges were again impressed with Lowtown schools enthusiasm, knowledge and understanding of their environment. The progress made and changes seen throughout the school gardens and grounds have been astounding and a credit to the pupils themselves, the judges were impressed with the corn and barley garden area complete with their very own scarecrows. Public house and restaurant competition. It was great to see and meet the newest members of the ‘in bloom’ group and it is a credit to the established group through raising their own profile at events and fundraising they have secured the help of more volunteers. Good partnership working with the Pudsey Civic Society, Rotary Club and, Town Centre Management which is a good foundation and support network for the ‘in bloom’ group. Ongoing projects and press file showing year round involvement and commitments.
Areas for Improvement:
Now that the group has been successful in its pub and restaurant competition it might be worthwhile, if time and commitment permits to work with local schools with gardening in mind, maybe ‘a wildlife garden in a pot’ theme, building on the successful poster competition.

....And for anyone who is interested in viewing comments for all the entries in the competition, you can read these by visiting http://www.yorkshireinbloom.co.uk/ and clicking on results on the left hand side of the page.