BLOOMING marvellous! That was the verdict for Romsey as this summer's floral decorations put it up among the top towns in the South.

The town gained a silver gilt award in the 2004 South in Bloom competition, sponsored by Southern Water. That meant it was joint second behind Winchester in the large towns' category and level with former Britain in Bloom winner Christchurch.

"It is wonderful news," said Mayor Dorothy Baverstock, who has been a driving force behind the town's floral decorations.

She was quick to praise business people of the town who had supported the initiative by dipping into their pockets and bedecking their shops and properties with hanging baskets and other floral decorations.

The award is also a triumph for Choice Plants, which supplied the vast number of hanging baskets for the town centre displays.

A further Romsey success was gained in the schools' section, where Cupernham emerged as a winner.

Mrs Baverstock was quick to point out: "This year's success was achieved despite all the trauma of the road works which went with the town centre enhancement scheme." She also pointed out that just when the summer weather should have been settling in, the town was hit by a gale which scattered debris around the centre. And she praised Test Valley Borough Council staff for the part they played in clearing up and making the centre neat and tidy again. On the overall silver gilt achievement, she commented: "It was a wonderful effort. But if we could do that with this year's problems, I believe we could do even better next year and I am appealing to everyone to start making their preparations for 2005.

"We are one of the smallest towns in our class and I would think some of the biggest towns, such as Winchester, put quite a lot of money into it while ours are paid for in the main by local businesses and run by volunteers.

"You can't just decide next May what you are going to do. Let's start thinking about it now and let's have a few volunteers coming forward to start helping to make the arrangements."

The overall champion of champions was Wimborne in Dorset.