TV’s Mr Bloom wows festival crowds

Photo: Paul Sterritt

SOME of the town centre festival crowd

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CHEERING children welcomed TV favourite Mr Bloom to Oldham town centre.

The CBeebies celebrity was given a rapturous reception by children and mums for his three appearances on Saturday.

He proved the star-attraction of the day-long flower festival - having also visited the town in April for the literary Bookmark Festival. He told his rapt audience of “tiddlers”: “It’s nice to see you and it’s fantastic to be here! I like coming to Oldham; I was here a few months ago.”

The flower festival proved that you don’t have to go to the RHS Flower Show at Tatton this week for horticultural highlights.

Blossom, the mascot of Oldham Bloom and Grow — the borough’s North-West in Bloom entry — was mobbed by adoring children. Other activities included herb planting, origami flower making and comedy gardeners.

Flower arranging demonstrations by the council’s parks department proved popular — especially with those who won the creations at the end of each session.

Sara Hewitt, Oldham’s town centre manager, said: “The festival is a celebration of all the flowers in the town centre and part of our entry in North-West in Bloom. It has grown every year as more businesses get behind it and more shoppers enjoy it.”

email: karendoherty@oldham-chronicle.co.uk