Ramsey Commissioners have held a celebration after the town won a Green Flag award for Mooragh Park from environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

Lead member for parks and leisure Michelle Quayle thanked everyone involved in the achievement during a prize presentation at Ramsey town hall.

’This is excellent for Ramsey and recognition by a respected independent body that Mooragh Park not only plays a central role in our community but also contributes greatly to Ramsey being a desirable place to live, work and visit,’ she said.

The commissioners’ annual Ramsey in Bloom competition unearthed a wealth of gardening talent.

The judges were Ramsey Commissioners’ head gardener, Bobby Cunningham, and guest judge Linda Grugan.

First place in the public buildings section went to Magnus Court, and first prize in the large commercial premises category went to the Swan Hotel.

In the small commercial premises category, first prize went to Sun and Beauty.

The small gardens section first prize was awarded to Jeffrey Bentley who had successfully developed a garden ’in possibly one of the windiest sites in Ramsey’.

In the large gardens category first prize went to Serena Buffine.

The residents of Admiral’s Court on Mooragh Promenade took first prize in the community project category, praised for their enthusiasm to maintain the site ’clean and tidy’.

In the little gems section Christine Doherty took first prize for a garden described as ’a good example of how to use pots to bring out the best of a difficult site’.

The wildlife category prize went to Sue McArthur for introducing ’many bird feeders, insect hotels and planting for a variety of wildlife to enjoy’.

First prize in the Ramsey Garden Centre’s children’s section went to Enya Christian, whose display in the community garden at Admiral’s Court was praised for its ’nicely planted pots decorated with windmills and fairies’.

Sponsored by the Farmers’ Combine, the fruit and vegetable category was won by June Nicholls who had incorporated a fruit cage and poly-tunnels in her garden.

The final award was for the garden tour, introduced in 2015 to mark Ramsey’s 150th anniversary. The prize, the Ramsey Town Commissioners’ Commemorative Cup, went to Jeffrey Bentley.

Mrs Quayle thanked the judges, entrants and sponsors for their support and announced that the 2019 Fenton’s Challenge would be to grow pumpkins, to be judged on Saturday, October 26.

First-place winners in the special prize categories were:

Ken Barnes Cup: Mrs C. Doherty; Anne Skinner Memorial Trophy: Mr J. Buffine

Ann Martin Memorial Shield: Mr J. Bentley

Richard Radcliffe Cup: Mrs A. Skillan

Booilushag Cup: Mrs A. Skillan

Ramsey Town Cup: Mrs A. Skillan

Beryl Quine Memorial Rose Bowl: Mrs C. Faid.