And the winner of the Spalding Guardian best dressed flower parade window competition is ...
After scores of readers cast their vote for their favourite display, we can proudly reveal that Daisies Flower Shop in The Crescent takes the crown.
Emma Peake, owner of the shop, was delighted to be told her entry had received the most votes.
She said: “It is so exciting, I am really happy.”
She had begged and borrowed a variety of old newspapers, photographs and documents to make up a history of Spalding and the flower parade.
It included a newspaper from the 1950s with a front page story calling for a bypass for Spalding, a photo line-up of all the past flower queens and advertisements for old businesses.
Emma hasn’t yet decided which charity will benefit from her £100 winner’s cheque.
Second place in the competition, run in conjuction with South Holland District Council’s economic services, was the St Barnabas charity shop in New Road, which created a miniature flower parade in its window, complete with road, bunting, flower-decked cars, and a doll flower queen. There was also a teddy bear’s picnic and a Lego village, complete with caravan park.
Volunteer manager Lisa Thomas said: “To come second is really good news as we put quite a lot of effort into our window display. The £50 prize money will obviously go to St Barnabas.”
And third place was taken by the Fun Junction toy shop in Swan Street which decorated its window on a Let’s Celebrate birthday theme, complete with gift-wrapped boxes, toys, balloons, streamer and birthday cake.
The £25 prize will go to Spalding’s PHAB.
Nigel Burch, senior economic development officer, said: “ I would like to congratulate the three winners of the window dressing competition on fantastic displays.
“All the entrants are to be congratulated on their efforts and I am sure readers will agree that the competition brought a varied and colourful feel to the shops during the run up to the flower parade.
“I also hope that it might have given some of the shops a taste for window dressing and that it is something they might continue to do.
“I would also like to thanks the Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian for their support in running this competition”