Joy as Wisbech is crowned overall winner in this year's Anglia in Bloom while Chatteris celebrates Gold and Benwick Silver Gilt awards

Wisbech is celebrating after scooping a clutch of top awards at this year's Anglia in Bloom competition including Best Overall Entry and winner of the Anglia in Bloom Trophy.

There was delight too for Chatteris as they picked up a Gold award, while Benwick was celebrating a Silver Gilt at the 22nd annual awards ceremony held yesterday (Thursday) at the Apex Theatre in Bury St Edmunds .

Wisbech itself was awarded a Gold Standard and won the Best Large Town,and Best Business Improvement District (BID).

While Wisbech Park was awarded Gold in the large park category, the town's General Cemetery won Silver Gilt, and Waterlees was the overall winner of the Urban Community category for which it was awarded a Gold.

Peckover School in Wisbech won the Bill Webster Young Persons Project in the under 12 category for its garden, which has seen them create a series of different areas.

There was personal glory too for Brian Massingham, chairman of Wisbech in Bloom when he was awarded the Mike Ames Award in recognition of long and voluntary service given by individuals to local and regional In Bloom communities, beating fellow Wisbechian Chris Steves, from Waterlees to the prize.

This was the second year running that Chatteris collected a Gold following a long spell of Silver Gilt awards. The town's Royal British Legion was also awarded a certificate in recognition of its nomination in the Bill Webster Young Persons Project.

Once again March was absent from from the competition but organisers are now appealing for new volunteers to join the group.

Bob Ollier, chairman of Anglia in Bloom said: “The Anglia in Bloom communities across the six counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk should be justifiably proud of this year’s achievements.

"This year standards have continued on from last year with excellent awards achieved with 57 gold, 13 silver gilt, six silver and three bronze awarded.”

He added: “With 57 Gold awards this year, the results were again very close, several entrants were within just a few points, of achieving overall victory.

“I am very pleased to announce that this year’s overall winner of the prestigious title of Best Anglia in Bloom Overall Entry is Wisbech.”

George Dawson, chairman of the judges, said “A community is a winner as soon as it enters into the campaign. No matter what the British climate throws at us the entrants in Anglia in Bloom take it all in their stride and make the areas where they live better places.

He said: “The campaign is not only about flowers as the name In Bloom would suggest. Many different elements are judged, environmental quality, community involvement, biodiversity and the involvement of young people to name but a few.

“I would suggest that one of the definitions of In Bloom is to flourish and if all the various elements of the judging criteria are done well then so will the entry.”

Meanwhile you will be able to follow Wisbech's dig for glory in this year's In Bloom competition when the BBC screens its Britian in Bloom series in the run up to the launch of next year's competition.

Film crews visited the town and the various projects a number of times over the summer months to follow their progress in the lead up to the all important judging day.

It will be screened on BBC 2 sometime in the spring.