A Brighter Boroughbridge For Le Tour

The eyes of the world will focus on Yorkshire over the weekend of 5-6 July, as the county hosts its first ever Grand Départ of the Tour de France.

We want the world to see a beautiful, clean county, with spotless towns and villages framing the luscious natural beauty of the Dales. What better way of ensuring that everybody sees your local town looking bright, smart and in fine fettle than by joining Brighter Boroughbridge and District in a clean up before the hordes of cycling fans and TV crews arrive?

Local man John Goss is the driving force behind the Brighter Boroughbridge scheme, which kicked off in 2013 and aims to cheer up the dark, forgotten corners of the town and its outlying villages, making them more enjoyable places to live. So far the project has attracted around 20 volunteers and to date, one of BBD’s biggest successes was the communal litter pick; led by John, volunteers started from Morrisons car park and fanned out across town. That particular exercise earlier this year turned up an alarming amount of debris, including banners for public events, cans, broken glass and plastic bags.

Local man John Goss is the driving force behind the Brighter Boroughbridge scheme

But the greatest challenge for BBD has been the restoration of the weed ridden garden on the corner of Chatsworth Grove and Horsefair. “It had been abandoned and was like an overgrown jungle. We dug up some trees, built a small wall and a path and put a bench in,” says John. “Once we got started on the garden, we all enjoyed working together and had a lot of fun.” With financial support from Boroughbridge Lions and Harrogate Borough Council Parks Department, BBD also planted 250 herbaceous perennials and around 100 shrubs. Their efforts have certainly paid off and this newly loved little corner of town is currently sprouting hundreds of daffodils and pansies.

Appointed Major of Boroughbridge in May 2013, Graham Archer is also a member of BBD and he is delighted with its progress. “The Brighter Boroughbridge and District group got off to a flying start and we are looking forward to a much brighter and tidier community in the months to come,” he claimed in his mayoral letter.

Up-and-coming projects for BBD include a stall at Plot to Plate on Saturday 10 May, tree planting on the road out from Boroughbridge to Langthorpe and a communal tidy up around the car park by the Tourist Office. But the major event this year is of course the Grand Départ. BBD’s contribution to the big race is a new garden on the roundabout on the A1 and the A168. Its floral displays will showcase cycling jerseys and a giant bike, which are being created out of cardboard at the Jennyruth Workshops in Ripon in a true joining together of local communities. Later in 2014 the bikes and jerseys will be replaced by a tribute to World War I as part of the ongoing local centenary commemorations.

So make it a Grand Départ to be proud of; spring is all about new beginnings and if you’ve got time on your hands, why not join the 20 odd other volunteers who already give up their time to get rid of litter, improve the local environment and make some new friends into the bargain? BBD is always looking for more people to swell their numbers. “If you’d like to help make Boroughbridge a better place, just call me on 01423 323123 or email on john@gossonline.co.uk,” confirms John. “We’ll always welcome new faces.”