Britain in Bloom judges descended on Princes Risborough yesterday to take in the best sights the area has to offer.

Regional judges Pete Thompson and Anne Kempson, from Thames and Chiltern in Bloom, took a two-hour tour around Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, Askett and Whiteleaf from 11am to 1pm on Wednesday.

The judges were looking for examples of outstanding parks and open spaces, quality plants and natural wildlife areas as well as examples of community participation and management of litter, empty shops and dog fouling.

The route included the Princes Centre gardens, the Whiteleaf Rag Pit, Monks Risborough School, Stratton Memorial Gardens, Wades Park and Park Mill Ponds before heading back to the Princes Centre for refreshments and deliberations.

And it seemed that weeks of preparation by the town council had paid off, as Chairman and Town Mayor, Cllr Alan Turner, said the judges were impressed.

He said: “It went quite well, they can’t tell us much but they seemed to be quite pleased and impressed.

“For our first attempt at this competition, it went very well and we have learned a lot for the next time.

“Coming into the competition as late as we did, we’re up against the likes of Henley in our area, so it’s going to be tough but they seemed impressed.

“They usually take around half an hour to deliberate after the tour but they were there for an hour and half, so they obviously had a lot to talk about.”

As pouring rain and a broken down minibus threatened to scupper the town’s chances just hours before the judges arrived, Cllr Turner told how everything went to plan in the end.

He said: “There was a last-minute panic because we were planning to use the Princes Centre minibus but it had to go into the garage so we had to find another at the last minute.

“Luckily, the rain held off, thank goodness. In the morning the rain had been dreadful but it cleared up and the mist lifted in time for the judges to see the view from Whiteleaf Hill.

“It is an absolutely tremendous view up there.”  

The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in September.