Volunteers start work to spruce up town

A GATEWAY bed welcoming residents and visitors to Barnard Castle town centre has been given a spruce up for the new year by members of the town’s volunteer group of workers.
The bed, adjacent to the Niche Living store, in Galgate, had become overgrown with chickweed which had all but hidden the winter flowering plants, such as pansies.
The bed is one of a number which are the responsibility of Barnard Castle Town Council.
The flowers were planted last year as part of an agreement between the town council and Deerbolt Young Offenders’ Institution.
However, no weeding or maintenance was subsequently carried out, prompting the volunteer workers to act.
Roger Peat, who organises the volunteers, said the state of the overgrown gateway did not offer a particularly welcoming sight to those coming into town.
He said the group had received permission from the town council to spruce up the area and put down some new hardcore around the bed.
Mr Peat explained the weeding would be a short-term fix for the bed as it was planned to put in a new display of flowers from Deerbolt to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee later in the year.
“But at the moment, it looks terrible, covered in chickweed. We are weeding and this will let the pansies grow.
“We are tidying it up and then the town council can do whatever they want to do with it.”
Mr Peat said weeding the gateway bed was just the start of the volunteer workers’ efforts to keep the town’s blooms in tip-top condition this year.
Next on the agenda, volunteers will be out tending to the white roses bed at Amen Corner and also in Bridgegate, he said.
The workers will also return to the Remembrance Garden, in Galgate, and continue their efforts to improve the Roman Way picnic site down by the river, which they began to clear last spring.
Meanwhile, Barnard Castle Town Council last week agreed to increase the amount it spends on floral and open spaces from £9,894 to £17,721 as part of its 2022/23 budget.
Anyone wishing to join in with the volunteer workers or who would like more information can contact Mr Peat by email at roger_peat@hot mail.co.uk.